• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

3

A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'

1

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

2

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

3

A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'
FinanceS&P 500

As if the trade war never happened, stocks could pull off a feat not seen since the late-1990s boom

Jason Ma
By
Jason Ma
Jason Ma
Weekend Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Jason Ma
By
Jason Ma
Jason Ma
Weekend Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 29, 2025, 2:02 AM ET
Off-Broadway act Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk performs on Dec. 31, 1998.
Off-Broadway act Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk performs on Dec. 31, 1998.Joseph Del Valle—NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.
  • Some bulls on Wall Street see U.S. stocks turning in another year of huge gains as the worst fears of President Donald Trump’s trade war fade and the outlook on tariffs becomes more certain. If the S&P 500 posts a third consecutive year with a surge of 20% or more in 2025, it would be the first time that’s happened since the late-1990s market boom.

The stock market has been on a hot streak lately, notching record high after record high, and some bulls on Wall Street think the party isn’t over.

Recommended Video

That marks a stunning reversal from the panic that gripped investors in April, when President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs shocked the world. Stocks, Treasury bonds, and the dollar crashed. Markets started pricing in a recession, and analysts slashed their forecasts.

But Trump put his most aggressive tariff rates on hold, corporate earnings remained robust, consumers stayed resilient, and stocks rebounded. Even foreign investors jumped back into U.S. markets. Meanwhile, his administration has negotiated several trade deals, including one with the European Union on Sunday that removes the threat of a damaging trade war.

Now that the fog of war is lifting, upbeat forecasts that predated Liberation Day are back, meaning stocks could put up big numbers again—as if the tariff shock from a few months ago was all just a bad dream.

On Monday, Oppenheimer chief investment strategist John Stoltzfus hiked his S&P 500 price target for this year to 7,100 from 5,950, reinstating the outlook he initially made in December 2024.

“This year reminds us of the classic Charles Dickens quote, ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,'” he said in his latest note. “Although much uncertainty and worry prevailed for some time both with trade policy and geopolitical events, and given the multitude of potential outcomes, we’d note that cooler heads prevailed — leading to positive outcomes at least for now.”

He cited progress on trade negotiations, strong corporate earnings, and the Federal Reserve’s deft handling of monetary policy, which cooled inflation without causing a recession.

If the S&P 500 hits 7,100 this year, it would represent a gain of about 21% for 2025, marking a third straight year with a surge of more than 20%. That hasn’t happened since the late 1990s, when the U.S. economy and the stock market boomed.

Also on Monday, Morgan Stanley equity strategist Michael Wilson said the S&P 500 could reach 7,200 by mid-2026, explaining that he is starting to lean closer to that more optimistic “bull case” scenario.

He cited strong earnings as well as AI adoption, the weak dollar, Trump’s tax cuts, pent-up demand, and expectations for Fed rate cuts in early 2026.

Another member of the 7,000 club is Chris Harvey, Wells Fargo Securities’ head of equity strategy, who has stuck by his S&P 500 forecast of 7,007 even during the trade war.

Last week, he reaffirmed it, predicting big tech companies will continue fueling the stock market’s rally despite Trump’s trade policies.

“What we’re seeing is the winners continue to win,” he told Bloomberg. “The uber-cap companies have the higher margins, are gaining more market share. There is a real secular trend in AI that will continue.”

And over the longer term, this decade still looks like it will be another “roaring 20s,” according to market veteran Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research.

On Monday, he backed his thesis, which he first posited in August 2020, as productivity advances, a wave of capital outlays, and the endurance of consumer spending will keep stocks buoyant.

“If the remainder of the decade continues to play out as the Roaring 2020s, we predict that the S&P 500 will start the next decade at 10,000,” Yardeni wrote in a note.

About the Author
Jason Ma
By Jason MaWeekend Editor

Jason Ma is the weekend editor at Fortune, where he covers markets, the economy, finance, and housing.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

Foreign buyers seem to be following Zohran Mamdani’s cue — and fleeing American real estate
EconomyWealth
Foreign buyers seem to be following Zohran Mamdani’s cue — and fleeing American real estate
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 28, 2026
1 hour ago
Stressed rich Gen Zer looks at laptop
SuccessCost of living
Despite making over $135K, 1 in 5 high-earners feel ‘depressed’ when thinking about their finances—they may have ‘money dysmorphia’
By Emma BurleighJuly 28, 2026
2 hours ago
What is professional liability insurance and who needs it?
Personal FinanceInsurance
What is professional liability insurance and who needs it?
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 28, 2026
2 hours ago
gen
EconomyGen Z
The brutal math behind Gen Z’s lonely weekends: $15 drinks are driving a generational ‘spending hangover’
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 28, 2026
3 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 28, 2026
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of July 28, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 28, 2026
5 hours ago
A smartphone displaying the logo of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BNY) in front of a BNY brand background.
AICFO Daily
BNY skipped the ‘tokenmaxxing’ craze. Here’s what AI metrics it tracks instead
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 28, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
C-Suite
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
1 day ago
New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
Retail
New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
By Sarah GlodekJuly 27, 2026
1 day ago
A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'
Success
A Nobel economist challenged Elon Musk to donate his entire $1T fortune by 2036. Musk's reply: 'I am actually going to do something along these lines'
By Sydney LakeJuly 27, 2026
20 hours ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 27, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 27, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 27, 2026
1 day ago
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
Commentary
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
By Austin SaratJuly 26, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.