04/24/2026
🚀 Could the S&P 500 hit 9,000 this year — and 11,000 by the end of next year? Some serious people think so. Here's the case.
Before you scroll past that as pure fantasy, hear the math out — because it's more grounded than it sounds.
The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high of 7,126 this week. JPMorgan just raised its 2026 earnings-per-share estimate for the index to $330 — a 22% jump year-over-year — and lifted its 2027 forecast to $385. FactSet is tracking the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings growth. Goldman Sachs expects tech sector earnings alone to nearly double from $70 per share in 2025 to $109 per share by 2027. AI isn't a story about what's coming anymore. It's showing up in actual bottom lines, right now, across hundreds of companies.
Then add the Fed. Jerome Powell's term as chair ends in May, and Kevin Warsh — Trump's nominee to replace him — is expected to take over a central bank that finally has room to cut rates as oil prices normalize after the Iran ceasefire. Lower rates mean lower borrowing costs, higher corporate margins, and — critically — higher valuations investors are willing to pay for every dollar of earnings. When you stretch an already-growing earnings number through a slightly higher multiple, the math to 9,000 — and beyond — is not as crazy as it sounds.
But here is the force that most people never talk about — and it may be the most powerful one of all: 401k accounts.
Every single week, tens of millions of Americans have money automatically pulled from their paycheck and invested directly into the market. No emotion. No hesitation. No watching the headlines. Just consistent, relentless buying — rain or shine, war or peace, bull market or correction. The Investment Company Institute estimates that Americans contribute roughly $2 billion or more into retirement accounts every single week. That is a river of capital that flows into equities regardless of what the market is doing. It was flowing during the six weeks of Iran war losses. It was flowing the day the VIX hit 31. It never stops. And as the market rises, those same contributions — now buying at higher prices — continue to accumulate share counts for tens of millions of future retirees.
Is 9,000 this year guaranteed? Absolutely not — no forecast ever is. But is it possible, when you combine accelerating earnings, a new Fed chair with room to cut, and the largest sustained automatic investment program in the history of the financial world? More than possible.
This is why we never stop contributing. This is why we never stop investing. And this is why the long game — boring, patient, relentless — almost always wins. 💼📈
This is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Please consult a financial professional before making any investment decisions. All forecasts and targets referenced are from third-party analysts and are not the projections of RGIS, LLC. — RGIS, LLC
