Analyst: Limited upside potential for European stock markets this year

Golden Ten Data reported on April 17 that, according to the average forecast of 17 analysts, the STOXX Europe 600 Index is expected to be about 1% higher than Wednesday’s closing price by the end of 2026, reaching 623 points. The index has nearly recovered the losses caused by the Iran war, but strategists say this rebound may be difficult to sustain because the full impact of rising energy costs has not yet appeared. Deutsche Bank, DekaBank, an exchange, and UniCredit have moderately lowered their respective index targets in the latest survey. The exchange is the most bullish institution, with a forecast of 670 points, implying an 8% increase in the index. TFS Futures and Bank of America remain the most bearish strategists, expecting the index could decline by about 9%.