The S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.35%) has delivered an average annual return of around 10.5% since the index was created in its current form in 1957. Investors could potentially generate a substantial amount of money over the long term with such gains.
If you're hoping for much higher returns in the new year, you could be in luck. Here are three S&P 500 stocks that could soar 49% or more in 2026, according to Wall Street.
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1. Charter Communications
Charter Communications (CHTR +0.39%) provides broadband, cable TV, mobile, and voice services to millions of customers in 41 U.S. states. Its Spectrum Networks also owns more than 30 local TV news and digital networks in 14 states, as well as a streaming news channel and two regional sports networks.
After beginning 2025 with strong momentum, this telecommunications stock hasn't performed well in the second half of the year. Charter's share price has plunged roughly 50% below its peak.
NASDAQ: CHTR
Key Data Points
However, some on Wall Street think better days lie ahead for the stock. The average 12-month price target for Charter reflects a potential upside of 49%. Interestingly, though, only six of the 21 analysts surveyed by S&P Global (SPGI +0.33%) in December rated the stock as a "buy."
Even if Charter's share price doesn't soar next year, the stock seems unlikely to decline much further. Charter's forward price-to-earnings ratio is a super-low 4.8. That's cheap for a company that generated $1.6 billion of free cash flow in its latest quarter.
2. Oracle
Oracle (ORCL 1.77%) for years was primarily known for its relational database platform. Today, though, the company is a leading cloud applications and cloud services provider.
Concerns about the company taking on a large amount of debt to fund AI-related expansion have caused Oracle's share price to sink over the last couple of months. Oracle also reported disappointing fiscal 2026 second-quarter results. However, the tech stock is still up by a double-digit percentage year-to-date after nearly doubling at one point.
NYSE: ORCL
Key Data Points
Can Oracle bounce back? Wall Street seems to believe so. The consensus 12-month price target for the stock is around 70% higher than the current share price. Of the 43 analysts surveyed by S&P Global, 30 rated Oracle as a "buy" or "strong buy."
Oracle continues to deliver sizzling growth. Its adjusted earnings per share skyrocketed 54% year-over-year in fiscal Q2. The company should also have tremendous growth opportunities ahead as it embeds agentic AI in its products.
3. The Trade Desk
When you see ads while watching streaming TV programs, there's a good chance The Trade Desk (TTD +1.23%) was involved. The company operates the leading platform for digital ad buyers.
2025 has been a horrible year for The Trade Desk. Its share price has plunged more than 65%. There's been plenty of bad news for the company, including slowing growth, the abrupt departure of its CFO, and rising concerns about competition from Amazon (AMZN 1.21%). Although most of Amazon's advertising revenue is generated from its own platforms, the company is gaining momentum in placing ads for buyers on other internet sites.
NASDAQ: TTD
Key Data Points
A turnaround could be in store for The Trade Desk in 2026, according to Wall Street. The average 12-month price target for the beaten-down stock reflects a potential upside of around 67%. Twenty-one of the 37 analysts surveyed by S&P Global in December rated The Trade Desk as a "buy" or "strong buy."
Is Wall Street's optimism warranted? I think so. The connected TV market should continue to serve as a key growth driver for The Trade Desk. The company also has significant growth opportunities outside North America.
