Citi lifts S&P 500 target to 8100 as AI boom fuels episodic earnings surge

Investing.com -- Wall Street is recalibrating its long-term equity projections even as macroeconomic turbulence shakes the broader market. Citigroup equity strategist Scott Chronert lifted the bank's year-end 2026 target for the S&P 500 to 8100, up from his previous forecast of 7700. This aggressive upward revision hinges on a massive acceleration in corporate profitability rather than expanding valuation multiples, according to Chronert. The strategist now projects index-level earnings to hit $