Jefferies projects the S&P 500 will reach 9,000 by the end of 2027, supported by $450 EPS and 20.8% earnings growth, with strong earnings and continued AI investment as key drivers. For year-end 2026, Jefferies set an 8,000 target based on 35% earnings growth and $373 EPS, versus consensus growth of 29%, while Goldman Sachs Research also expects 8,000, up 3% from the current level. Analysts and portfolio managers polled between August 12 and 25 expect the S&P 500 to end 2026 at 7,900, and major Wall Street brokerages project a year-end 2026 target range of 7,100 to 8,100. Consensus 2026 earnings growth has climbed to 29% from about 13% at the start of the year, broadening beyond the Magnificent 7, with earnings for the rest of the S&P 500 expected to rise about 24%. Jefferies estimates AI- and data-center-related companies account for about 46% of the S&P 500, with earnings projected to grow 60% in 2026 before moderating to 24% in 2027. The outlook follows a Sept. 21, 2026 session in which the Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.3% to a new all-time high, the S&P 500 advanced 1.5% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 0.8%, as Meta Platforms, Advanced Micro Devices and Intel jumped by double digits ahead of an expected meeting between AI executives and Chinese President Xi Jinping, oil fell below $100 per barrel and bitcoin surged past $86,000 to an eight-month high.
Coinbase Global Inc
MicroStrategy Incorporated
Advanced Micro Devices Inc
Intel Corporation
Meta Platforms Inc.
Bitcoin
