The US stock market: strong profits support the bull market, and the S & P 500 is expected to rise another 16% to 7,800 points next year

Michael Wilson, chief US equity strategist at Morgan Stanley, has sounded one of the most bullish voices on US stocks, predicting that the S & P 500 will rise 16 per cent over the next year on the back of strong corporate earnings. Michael Wilson expects the S & P 500 to trade around 7,800 by the end of 2026. That target is one of the highest among Wall Street strategists and means the index is on track for its fourth consecutive year of double-digit gains. The S & P 500 has rallied 14 per cent so far this year, according to data, after posting gains of more than 20 per cent in each of the previous two years.