The S&P 500 will climb another 10% as the Democrat-controlled government passes new stimulus, Credit Suisse says

• Credit Suisse analysts lifted their S&P 500 target to 4,200 from 4,050 on Thursday, citing Democrats' victories in Georgia Senate runoff elections as key to ushering in additional fiscal stimulus.
• The new target implies a roughly 10% climb from current levels.
• The bank expects President-elect Biden to pass fresh fiscal support that includes another round of direct payments for Americans.
• New stimulus "will further fan these flames" of pent-up consumer demand as the economy reopens, the team added.
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Democrats' upcoming control of the US Senate paves the way for a new fiscal stimulus and healthy stock-market returns throughout 2021, Credit Suisse analysts said Thursday.

The team led by Jonathan Golub lifted its 2021 S&P 500 price target to 4,200 from 4,050 in a note to clients, implying a roughly 10% rally from current levels. The bank expects the index's earnings-per-share to climb to $175 this year and reach $200 by the end of 2022.

Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock's victories in Georgia Senate runoff elections bring Democrats' seat count in the legislative body to 50, meaning any ties will be broken by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The shift in power gives Democrats unified control of the government for the first time since 2011 and gives Biden a far easier path for passing progressive policy.

Fresh fiscal support is likely among the President-elect's first initiatives when he takes office later this month, Credit Suisse said. Democrats are poised to push for another round of direct payments, an extension to unemployment benefits, state and local government aid, and relief for healthcare workers.

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A stronger stimulus response, when combined with a swift reopening, can accelerate the country's economic rebound, the team of analysts said.

"While the timeline for vaccination rollouts has proven underwhelming, the likely avalanche of pent-up consumer demand cannot be ignored. Any additional stimulus will further fan these flames," they added.

The bank upgraded several cyclical sectors to "overweight" from "market weight," including industrials, materials, and consumer discretionary stocks. The groups are among those best positioned to benefit from the start of a new economic expansion and a return to pre-pandemic levels of activity, according to the bank.

The team downgraded the tech, consumer services, and internet retail sectors to "market weight" from "overweight." Health care and financial stocks remain the bank's "highest conviction overweights."

Several other Wall Street giants similarly upgraded their outlooks for stocks and the US economy following Georgia's elections. Bank of America economists said Wednesday that another $1 trillion in stimulus can "easily" boost US economic growth by one point to 6% in 2021.

Goldman Sachs lifted its 2021 growth estimate to 6.4% from 5.9% on Thursday, citing its expectation for a $750 stimulus package being passed in the first quarter.

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