Wall Street Strategist Barry Knapp
Barry Knapp
Head of US Equity Strategy · Coverage 2009–2015 · Left the firm in 2015
AnaChart's record of Barry Knapp's S&P 500 year-end price targets at Barclays covers 10 published targets and revisions across 7 closed forecast years. His final-year hit rate within ±3% of the actual close is 14% — 1 of 7 years. Closest call: 2013, target 1,800 vs. actual 1,848. Largest miss: 2009, target 874 vs. actual 1,115.
Knapp led US equity strategy at Barclays through the post-crisis recovery, having carried the US equity portfolio strategist role into Barclays Capital from Lehman Brothers. His tightest call was 2013, when a target moved to 1,800 by September landed within 2.6% of an 1,848 close. His widest miss was his first tracked year, 2009, when an 874 target trailed a 1,115 close by more than 21% as markets rebounded faster than expected. His final tracked call set 1,900 for 2015. He later headed macro and public-policy research at Guggenheim Securities before founding Ironsides Macroeconomics. Every call is plotted on the chart below.
S&P 500 Year-End Targets — Full History
Gray line: S&P 500 end-of-day closing price. Blue line: Barry Knapp's published S&P 500 price targets, each plotted at issuance date. Both lines end at retirement.
Year-by-Year Forecast Performance
| Year | Final Target | Year-End Actual | % Off | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1,900 | 2,044 | −7.0% | Miss |
| 2014 | 1,900 | 2,059 | −7.7% | Miss |
| 2013 | 1,800 | 1,848 | −2.6% | Hit |
| 2012 | 1,330 | 1,426 | −6.7% | Miss |
| 2011 | 1,325 | 1,258 | +5.4% | Miss |
| 2010 | 1,120 | 1,258 | −10.9% | Miss |
| 2009 | 874 | 1,115 | −21.6% | Miss |
Show 4 more years (2009–2012) Free account · no credit card
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barry Knapp still Barclays' Head of US Equity Strategy?
No. Knapp left Barclays in the mid-2010s. He went on to head macroeconomic and public-policy research at Guggenheim Securities and later founded Barclays-independent research firm Ironsides Macroeconomics in 2019, where he is managing partner. AnaChart's tracked record of his S&P 500 forecasts ends with his 2015 call.
What was Barry Knapp's final S&P 500 target at Barclays?
The last S&P 500 year-end target AnaChart tracked for Knapp was 1,900 for 2015, set on December 24, 2014. The index closed that year at 2,044.
How accurate were Barry Knapp's S&P 500 forecasts?
His final target landed within ±3% of the actual year-end close in 1 of his 7 closed forecast years, a 14% hit rate. His one clean call was 2013. His targets tended to undershoot the post-crisis recovery, most sharply in 2009. The year-by-year table above shows every call.
How often did Barry Knapp revise his S&P 500 target?
About once every 36 weeks on average. Some years carried a single call while others, such as 2011, 2012, and 2013, saw two revisions as the macro picture shifted. Every move is marked on the chart above.
Who took over US equity strategy at Barclays after Barry Knapp?
Barclays' US equity strategy function was reorganized after Knapp's departure, and AnaChart does not track a single named direct successor for his Barclays S&P 500 year-end target. His later work has been published under Ironsides Macroeconomics rather than a bank.