Oppenheimer Asset Management strategist John Stoltzfus is back again—the man who has been crowned the "most optimistic forecaster" for three consecutive years has just set a new target for 2026: the S&P 500 is expected to surge to around 8,100 points, which means another 18% increase from current levels.

His logic is pretty straightforward: economic growth remains resilient, the Fed is set to restart its rate-cutting cycle, monetary policy is turning more accommodative, and corporate earnings are strong. With these variables combined, it's hard to argue against a rising stock market. The target he set for this year is already close to being realized—the S&P 500 is now only 3% away from his year-end target, so his performance speaks for itself.

“We still see the stock market as the most worthwhile asset to allocate to,” Stoltzfus wrote in the report. “Accommodative monetary and fiscal policies, together with the resilience of corporate earnings, form the foundation of our 2026 price target logic.”

For the crypto market, this kind of macro narrative isn’t bad news either—a rate-cutting cycle typically means improved liquidity, and mainstream assets like BTC, ETH, and BNB often benefit from a rebound in risk appetite. Of course, whether the stock market rises is one thing, but whether the crypto market can absorb the liquidity is another matter entirely.