Amazon Stock Dips Despite Record Earnings as AI Infrastructure Spending Surges 
Coles Group Q3 Sales Rise Driven by Supermarkets and E-Commerce Growth 
Novartis Q1 2026 Earnings Miss Expectations as Generic Competition Pressures Sales 
TSMC Exits Arm Holdings with $231 Million Share Sale Amid Strategic Portfolio Shift 
Oil Prices Fall as Iran Proposes New Deal Amid Ongoing U.S. Tensions 
Gold Prices Hold Steady as Iran War and Interest Rate Outlook Weigh on Markets 
US-Iran Conflict Escalates Amid Oil Blockade and Rising Global Tensions 
AstraZeneca Q1 2026 Earnings Surge on Strong Oncology and Rare Disease Drug Sales 
Meta Raises 2026 Capex Outlook Amid AI Spending Surge, Shares Drop After Earnings 
T-Mobile Beats Q1 Earnings Expectations on Strong Postpaid Growth 
Why Paycom Was Named a 2026 Platinum Employer on the Where You Work Matters List 
Qualcomm Stock Surges Despite Weak Guidance After Q2 2026 Earnings Beat 
China’s Ultra-Cheap EV Boom: Why Electric Cars Cost Far Less Than in the U.S. 
Asian Stock Markets Rise Amid Wall Street Rally and U.S.-Iran Tensions 
Apple Q2 2026 Earnings Surge as iPhone 17 Sales Drive Record Revenue 
WTI Crude Oil Prices Rise Amid Iran Conflict Uncertainty 
UBS strategists predict the S&P 500 will close 2025 at 6,400, driven by backloaded returns. Despite early-year challenges, U.S. equities are expected to outperform global counterparts, particularly European and emerging markets, amid a cooling global economy.
S&P 500 Gains Expected to Be Backloaded in 2025
UBS market analysts project that the S&P 500 will close the year 2025 at approximately 6,400. With returns "being backloaded," the bank noted in a note, this would represent an approximately 9% increase from the current levels.
"After a rally this year through Trump’s cabinet appointments, we see mild downside in equities in H1 next year amid a step down in US growth," wrote strategists led by Arend Kapteyn.
After more reasonable earnings predictions are made, the company believes that the equity markets will be in a better position in the second half of 2025.
U.S. Equities to Outpace Europe and Emerging Markets
According to Investing.com, although US stocks may underperform European shares for a few months, UBS predicts that US stocks will beat European equities in the long run. On the other hand, compared to EM stocks, European stocks are expected to do better.
When it comes to style, UBS says that quality equities will keep doing better than value companies, and that the US will be a shining example.
Among emerging markets, the bank has singled out Chinese internet companies as a prime target. Nevertheless, the business cautions against putting too much stock in trade gains involving China's other benefactors.
Global Growth Slows Amid Tariff Challenges
Global economic indicators such as falling inflation and interest rates, fastest-rising real earnings in 20 years, and early indications of a housing market revival are encouraging, but strategists predict a slowdown in growth.
In particular, they anticipate a slowdown in worldwide growth over the next two years, with estimates ranging from 2.6% to 3.2%. Reasons for this prediction include the thought that the US economy will slow down and, more importantly, the effect that US tariffs will have on China's economy, which is already in a precarious position.
