Wall Street veteran defies concerns about AI bubble and has good news about US economy in 2026
The future of the U.S. economy has become uncertain because of Trump's policies in the past year. Now, Long-time Wall Street money manager and founder of Navellier & Associates, Louis Navellier, has shared a bullish outlook for the U.S. economy in 2026, going against the skeptics and defying fears of an AI market bubble. As someone who leads a firm with about $1 billion in assets under management, Navellier believes many factors could come together in the next year to bring about an "economic nirvana" with robust 5% GDP growth that would be non-inflationary. In his articles on Investing.com, Navellier mentioned the various economic forces that could make this happen.
Despite widespread concern over stagflation, rising prices, and a looming AI market bubble, Navellier remains almost unfazed, betting on growth associated with AI, investment, falling crude oil prices, and a rebound in GDP.
In his article on Investing.com, Navellier notes that Crude oil prices fell to nearly $55 per barrel this week, close to the all-time low mark in five years. Further mentioning the ongoing situation between the U.S. and Venezuela, the money manager estimated prices to remain low and boost growth. Citing a report from J.P. Morgan, he noted that AI spending accounted for approximately 1.1% of GDP in the first half of 2025, and it isn't expected to slow down in 2026.
In a research note shared with TheStreet, Goldman Sachs predicted that the hyperscalers, the largest cloud data providers, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, will spend nearly $533 billion in 2026, which is 34% more than in 2025. Navellier isn't bothered by the concerns of an AI bubble either. "At the Forbes cruise that I am on, there is anxiety about an AI bubble, but I am doing my best to assure investors that the unscrupulous short sellers were merely trying to ruin the party. In the end, these short sellers will be buried by strong revenue, earnings, surprises, and positive guidance," he wrote in his personal blog. Another reason for his positive outlook was the anticipated interest rate by the U.S. Federal Reserve in January.
The Bank of America stated that the chances of a rate cut in January would be high if unemployment levels remained at 4.6%, and last week, economists estimated that the December unemployment rate of 4.6% would be a close call, and 4.7% or higher would likely precipitate another cut, as per TheStreet. The unemployment data will be shared on January 9 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Another factor that Navellier believes would help the GDP growth is the weakening of economies around the globe. He believes the U.S. is importing deflation from China, with further solidification of trade policies. With this, "Robust U.S. GDP growth will follow and not be inflationary. In my opinion, 2026 could go down in history as 'economic nirvana,' with 5% growth and low inflation." Navellier wrote.
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