S&P 500 Targets Climb to 9,000 as Q2 Earnings Season Nears

The S&P 500 trades near 7,500 after its strongest quarter since 2020, with Wall Street targets steadily rising from 7,600-7,800 in late May to 8,000-8,300 by June and recent calls reaching 8,500-9,000. Q1 earnings grew 28% and Q2 is tracking 23-25%, powered by AI-driven tech capex, while the forward P/E holds near 21x. Risks from sticky inflation above 4% and tariff uncertainty persist, yet most strategists remain constructive heading into earnings season that begins next week.