Sell-side strategists across major firms have issued year-end targets for the S&P 500 Index that are clustered the tightest in almost a decade, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. With the highest forecast from Oppenheimer & Co. at 8,100 and the lowest from Stifel Nicolaus & Co. at 7,000, the gap in their annual outlook is just 16%. The unemployment rate has ticked up steadily over recent months, and heavy artificial intelligence spending has yet to be monetized.