Key Takeaways It was a rollercoaster of a year on Wall Street. Most experts think the ride isn't over. The S&P 500 is on track to post its third consecutive year of double-digit gains, putting the benchmark index up more than 90% since the current bull market started in October 2022. Strategists expect 2026 to be another good—if more modestly so—year for the stock market. As of mid-December, the average 2026 year-end S&P 500 price target was 7,269, according to an LPL Financial analysis. That implies about ...