Crypto Market Risks Capital Flight as S&P 500 Target Hits 7,800

The S&P 500 Index extended its rally in 2026, gaining roughly 9% year-to-date and rebounding sharply from its March lows. Wall Street remains increasingly optimistic about further upside, with JPMorgan raising its year-end target to 7,800.

The bullish forecast comes as investors grow more confident that easing geopolitical tensions and strong corporate earnings can support equities through the second half of the year. However, the outlook may present a challenge for Bitcoin and the broader crypto market, which have lagged traditional assets in recent months.

JPMorgan Hikes S&P 500 Index Forecast

Analysts at JPMorgan believe that the S&P 500 Index has more room to run in the coming months. In a note today, Dubravko Lakos-Bujas said that the index will jump to 7,800 from the previous target of 7,200. If this happens, it means that the index will jump by nearly 6% from the current level.

The analyst predicts that the market was in a “blue sky” situation, helped by the ongoing talks between the US and Iran. He expects that the war will lead to lower crude oil prices and inflation. Indeed, data shows that crude oil prices have sunk in the past few days, with Brent and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) moving below $80.

The falling oil prices will push inflation lower and reduce the possibility that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates this year.

Still, the analyst believes that the rally to $7,800 will not be linear, and it may experience volatility from time to time. For example, the index tumbled by over 1% on Tuesday as concerns about the technology industry remain.

JPMorgan also notes that the index will benefit from the ongoing earnings growth. Recent data shows that first-quarter earnings grew by over 28% and will jump by 30% in the second quarter.

This earnings growth is being driven by the ongoing artificial intelligence supercycle. For example, Nvidia’s revenue jumped by 85% in the first quarter, and the management believes that its revenue will jump to $91 billion. Similarly, companies like Micron, Sandisk, and Western Digital are expected to grow by triple digits.

JPMorgan joins other companies that have boosted their S&P 500 Index forecast. For example, Citigroup raised the forecast from $7,700 to $8,100, while Goldman Sachs hiked to $8,000. Other top companies include Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and Barclays.

Will the Strong Stock Market Boost Bitcoin and Crypto?

In the past, there was a close correlation between the stock and crypto markets. At the time, Bitcoin and the stock market used to move in sync since they are both seen as safe-haven assets.

Recently, however, they have gone through substantial divergence between the two. For example, data shows that the S&P 500 Index has jumped by 21% in the last 12 months, while Bitcoin has dropped by 42%. The same is true for this year, with the S&P 500 rising by 7.32% and Bitcoin falling by 31%.

Therefore, there is a risk that JPMorgan’s S&P 500 Index forecast will not translate to gains in the crypto market. For one, if this happens, chances are crypto investors will continue to rotate into the stock market.

Indeed, recent data shows that spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have suffered substantial outflows. Data shows that spot BTC ETFs have shed over $2.4 billion this month after they lost $2.4 billion in May this year. Spot Ethereum funds have also shed over $1.3 billion this year.

In contrast, the stock market has attracted substantial inflows in the past few months, with the Vanguard S&P 500 Index (VOO) adding over $130 billion in assets this year.

In total, these inflows have jumped by over $1 trillion, and this trend will continue as long as the stock market rally continues. Indeed, this also explains why spot gold and silver ETFs have shed millions of dollars this year.