Jill Hall
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- Bank of America7 min
Signals & Noise: Why small & mid-caps are leading the 2026 market rally – and what’s next
Bank of America economists project that U.S. small and mid-cap equities will outperform mega-caps in 2026 as earnings growth from manufacturing recovery and capital expenditure cycles drives returns, aided by a significant valuation gap where the Russell 2000 trades at 17 times forward earnings compared to the Russell 1000's 21 times. While these smaller indices face heightened sensitivity to Federal Reserve rate decisions due to greater leverage and refinancing risks, the firm anticipates steady rates through 2026 followed by cuts that could boost operating earnings by approximately 2% per quarter. Consequently, the investment strategy prioritizes less levered small-cap financials and energy stocks alongside maturing healthcare biotechs, focusing on companies positioned to benefit from reshoring trends and AI-driven efficiency gains.