Stocks are primed for another big stock market gain in 2025 given U.S. economic strength and likely deregulation under President-elect Donald Trump, according to Wells Fargo. The Wall Street bank expects the S & P 500 will advance to 6,600 by the end of 2025. That implies upside of more than 11% from Tuesday’s close. The broader index closed Tuesday at 5,916.98, and was last trading around the 5,870 level. “Our forecast for stronger economic growth, along with policies aimed at reducing regulatory costs, should help boost S & P 500 Index EPS to $275, above our prior forecast of $270, and our S & P 500 Index price target midpoint from 6300 to 6600,” read a note from Darrell Cronk at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. “Earnings growth should find extra support from reduced regulation,” it continued. “A corporate tax cut remains a possibility, although the timing and amount remain uncertain.” .SPX YTD mountain S & P 500 Wells Fargo is the latest big firm to release its 2025 S & P 500 year-end target, with virtually all shops thus far anticipating a roughly 10% gain or more for the broad market index. Goldman Sachs’ David Kostin this week said he expects the S & P 500 to end next year at 6,500. Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson issued a similar outlook at 6,500. BMO Capital’s Brian Belski sees a rise to 6,700 and UBS sees a rise to 6,400. Cronk came into 2024 anticipating the S & P 500 will end the year at 4,700, and then later raised his target to 5,400, according to the CNBC market strategist survey. Both forecasts proved too conservative for an index that topped 6,000 this year. Wall Street is in its third year of a bull market, when the strength of stock gains is expected to be more anemic than in the prior two years. The S & P 500 surged 24% in 2023, and is up more than 23% this year.
