Banking giant makes bold S&P 500 prediction

Group 1 - Morgan Stanley projects the S&P 500 to reach 7,200 by mid-2026, indicating a 12% increase from the last close of 6,389 [1] - The bullish outlook is supported by favorable economic factors, including a "rolling recovery" environment, improved operating leverage, AI adoption, a weakening U.S. dollar, and tax savings from the Inflation Reduction Act [2][4] - Anticipated interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in early 2026 and easing year-over-year growth comparisons further bolster the positive outlook [3] Group 2 - Oppenheimer raised its year-end S&P 500 target to 7,100 from 5,950, citing robust corporate earnings and favorable macroeconomic conditions [5] - Other institutions have also revised their forecasts upward, including BMO (6,700), Goldman Sachs (6,600), and Bank of America (6,300) [5] - Despite the bullish sentiment from many firms, Evercore ISI and HSBC remain cautious with the lowest targets at 5,600 [7]