Bullish stock market predictions for next year are starting to ramp up as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the economy.
Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan are among the most optimistic about the S&P 500, suggesting the benchmark index could surge toward 7,500 in 2026, or even 8,000 with additional Fed cuts.
Similarly, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo are forecasting a year-end 2026 finish at 7,800, the former referring to a “new bull market” supported by policy measures and strong earnings, and the latter expecting a stronger AI-driven surge later in the year.
With the majority of the analysts seemingly agreeing that the market has a lot of room to run, Finbold took to OpenAI’s flagship chatbot, ChatGPT-5, to zone in on 2 companies to reach $3 trillion in market cap in 2026.
Amazon (AMZN)
The AI chose Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) as the most likely candidate to reach $3 trillion in valuation next year. The retail leader is currently valued at $2.44 trillion, so a 22% rally will be necessary for it to hit that milestone.
Elaborating on its choice, ChatGPT naturally noted that Amazon remains a global powerhouse in e‑commerce and logistics, adding that its cloud computing efforts via Amazon Web Services (AWS) will further complement its growth, given that AI is all the rage nowadays.
Such a diversified business mix, the reasoning went, gives Jeff Bezos’s company all that it needs to grow: retail demand, cloud growth, and ad services. Accordingly, if AWS continues to expand and benefit from the sector’s overall bullish momentum, a push over $3 trillion seems within reach by 2026.
Meta (META)
The second pick, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), currently has a market capitalization of $1.59 trillion, meaning it needs to almost double in value to join the $3-trillion club.
Still, ChatGPT believes the parent of major social‑media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram is well-positioned to profit from the ongoing AI boom, given its increasing involvement with the technology.
Indeed, Meta has been exploring virtual reality and artificial intelligence for a while now, and its advertising business, propped by a vast social‑commerce platform, could benefit from it as well.
Nonetheless, the algorithm reminded that Meta will have to monetize emerging trends nearly perfectly if it is to hit the $3 trillion target, meaning that an 18-month timeframe would be more realistic.
Ultimately, hitting a $3 trillion market cap is no small feat for Amazon, Meta, or any other company. While two titans discussed above possess the scale, diversified business models, and sufficient exposure to the “current big thing” to make this target plausible, investors should note that the probability of them recording such valuations by the end of 2026 is going to depend on favorable market conditions and the successful monetization of emerging technologies.
Featured image via Shutterstock
