SA Sentiment: What's next for the S&P 500 in 2025?

Despite some fears that Wall Street may be headed for a pullback in the near term, given high equity valuations and concerning economic data, the S&P 500 (SP500) index rebounded at the start of this week.

This was after Friday's selloff triggered by data showing that jobs growth had been worse than previously thought. Adding to concerns are an uptick in inflation, President Donald Trump's latest tariff blitz, and the looming deadline for trade negotiations with China.

It's important to note that August and September are historically weaker months for the stock market. The S&P 500 (SP500) has gained nearly 8% YTD and saw three straight monthly gains, but what could be in store for the benchmark stock index for the rest of the year?

According to July's Sentiment Survey, which received around 1,000 responses, Seeking Alpha subscribers continued to be bullish on the market trajectory. 

The percentage of survey respondents expecting the S&P 500 to rise 10% this year increased 5 percentage points M/M and 33 pp since April. Interestingly, the percentage expecting the index to fall 10% by year-end declined 15 pp since April.

Take a look at S&P 500 (SP500) expectations for the year: