Goldman Sachs raised its S & P 500 year-end target to 5,200 in anticipation of stronger-than-expected earnings — especially in megacaps.
"In contrast, the remaining 493 stocks in the S & P 500 grew sales by 3% year/year while margins contracted by 56 bp and earnings fell by 2%."
On average, strategists are expecting the S & P 500 to end the year at 4,943 , according to a CNBC survey.
About 80% of S & P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 76% of those names beating earnings expectations, FactSet data shows.
The S & P 500 has performed well to start the year despite broader economic concerns.
Persons:
Goldman Sachs, David Kostin, Kostin
Organizations:
Federal Reserve, CNBC
Locations:
megacaps, U.S