Benzinga·2026-01-07 13:36Core Viewpoint - Goldman Sachs strategists warn of a challenging path for the U.S. stock market but do not expect a repeat of historical crashes from the 1920s or 1987 [1] Group 1: Market Conditions - High valuations, extreme market concentration, and strong recent returns raise bubble fears, reminiscent of past overextended markets [2] - Despite these similarities, key indicators of overheated markets are absent, such as speculative trading levels, elevated short interest, muted equity inflows, and modest IPO activity [3] Group 2: Corporate Performance - Mega-cap companies like Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft have seen stock price increases aligned with rising earnings estimates, maintaining valuations close to near-term earnings [4] Group 3: Macro Risks - Potential macro risks include a slowdown in growth or a more hawkish rate outlook, though these are considered unlikely; the macro backdrop may weaken later in the year as fiscal and monetary support diminishes [5] Group 4: Analyst Predictions - Predictions for the S&P 500 show significant potential for growth, with small caps expected to perform well; however, caution is advised against low-quality stocks [6] Group 5: Price Action - Over the past year, Invesco QQQ Trust and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF have increased by 21.05% and 17.51%, respectively [7]