# BlackRock Investment Institute upgraded U.S. equities to "overweight" from "neutral" Optimism over a possible easing of the conflict has lifted the benchmark S&P 500 by nearly 8%.

*business · news · 2026-04-13 · MarketScreener*

## Key points

- BlackRock upgraded U.S. equities to 'overweight' from 'neutral' citing strong earnings expectations.
- Tech sector earnings growth for 2026 is now projected at 43%, up from 26% last year.
- The valuation premium for the 'Magnificent Seven' stocks has narrowed to 1.2 times the S&P 500.
- First-quarter S&P 500 profit growth estimates rose to 13.9% from 12.7% since the conflict began.
- BlackRock also upgraded emerging market stocks due to strong earnings outlook.

**Companies:** BlackRock, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, Tesla, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs
**Countries:** United States, Iran

[Read the full story on MarketScreener](https://www.marketscreener.com/news/blackrock-upgrades-us-stocks-on-resilient-earnings-contained-middle-east-risks-ce7e50dedc8bff25)

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