<div id="readability-page-1">Dec 24 (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence will remain the centerpiece of investment strategies, global brokerages said in their 2026 outlooks, with the benchmark S&amp;P 500 index on track to post another ‌year of gains. &#34;We think fears of a collapse in the AI ​narrative are overdone and expect economic expansion to continue ‍for yet another year,&#34; Barclays strategists ⁠said. Still, risks loom. ⁠Inflation surprises, stretched valuations and tariff tensions could trigger corrections, even ‌as analysts expect AI ​and Federal Reserve rate cuts to keep the bull market alive. Strategists expect global economic growth ⁠to be resilient. Global ‍GDP ​should rise between 2.4% and 3.3%, as per estimates. The benchmark index will rise nearly 12% to 7,490 ‍by end-2026, marking a fourth straight year of advances if 2025 closes higher, according to a Reuters poll. Following are forecasts from some top brokerages on economic growth and the performance of U.S. stocks ​in ‍2026: Forecasts for stocks: Brokerage 2026 S&amp;P 500 index target BofA Global Research 7,100 Societe Generale 7,300 Barclays 7,400 UBS Global Research 7,500 Jefferies 7,500 HSBC 7,500 J.P.Morgan 7,500 Canaccord Genuity 7,500 BNP Paribas 7,500 Goldman Sachs 7,600 Citigroup 7,700 UBS ​Global Wealth Management 7,700 Evercore ISI 7,750 Morgan Stanley 7,800 Seaport Research Partners 7,800 Deutsche Bank 8,000 Oppenheimer Asset Management 8,100 Wells Fargo Investment Institute 7,400-7,600 Real GDP Growth: Brokerage GLOBAL U.S. EURO AREA UK Citigroup 2.6% 1.9% 0.8% 1.0% Goldman Sachs 2.8% 1.3% 2.1% 0.9% Morgan Stanley 3.2% 1.8% 1.1% 1.2% TD Securities 2.8% 2.0% 0.8% 1.0% Wells Fargo 2.8% 2.3% 1.2% 1.2% UBS Global Wealth 3.1% 1.7% 1.1% 1.1% Management Deutsche Bank 3.1% 2.4% 1.1% 1.2% HSBC 2.4% 1.7% 1.0% 1.2% J.P.Morgan 2.5% 2.0% 1.3% 0.9% BofA Global Research 3.3% 2.4% 1.0% 1.1% UBS Global Research 3.1% 1.7% 1.1% 1.1% * UBS Global Research and UBS Global Wealth Management are distinct, independent ​divisions in UBS Group * Wells Fargo Investment Institute is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank (Compiled by the Broker Research team ‍in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Tasim Zahid)</div>

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Global brokerages predict AI will be central to 2026 investment strategies, with the S&P 500 index expected to rise nearly 12% to 7,490 by end-2026. Barclays strategists dismiss fears of an AI narrative collapse, expecting continued economic expansion. Risks include inflation, valuations, and tariffs. Global GDP growth is forecasted between 2.4% and 3.3%. Various brokerages provide S&P 500 targets, with Deutsche Bank and Oppenheimer Asset Management predicting the highest at 8,000 and 8,100, respectively.

- Global brokerages forecast that artificial intelligence will be central to investment strategies in 2026, with the S&P 500 index projected to rise by nearly 12% to 7,490.  
- Despite optimism, potential risks such as inflation surprises and valuation pressures could lead to market corrections, yet analysts expect the bull market to persist due to AI advancements and Federal Reserve rate adjustments.  
- Global GDP growth is anticipated between 2.4% and 3.3%, reflecting resilience in the economy according to various brokerage estimates.

From trend to mainstay: AI to cement its place at the core of 2026 investment strategies