Wall Street’s best guess for where the S&P 500 ends 2026 is, well, basically where it is right now. Plus a little.
A Reuters poll of 47 market strategists, analysts, and portfolio managers pegs the index at 7,620 by December 31, 2026. That’s a gain of 1.3% from the May 26 close of 7,519.12.
What’s holding the market back
Respondents flagged an ongoing Middle East conflict, escalating energy prices, and persistent inflation as the primary headwinds likely to restrain further upside.
The earlier consensus forecast for the S&P 500 in 2026 sat around 7,500. So the median target has nudged slightly higher to 7,620, suggesting sentiment has improved marginally, not dramatically.
