The U.S. economy is poised for one of the most powerful stock market expansions in history. The S&P 500, long regarded as a barometer of American corporate strength, is no longer just a domestic index—it is a global juggernaut.

Today, between 30% and 40% of all S&P 500 revenues come from outside the United States. But over the next five years, that figure could rise to 50%, driven by exploding international demand, a wave of tariff reform, regulatory and tax fairness, and America’s unrivaled leadership in innovation and artificial intelligence. ^[i]

A Global Customer Base of 7.76 Billion People

While U.S. population growth has slowed, the world has never been hungrier for American goods, services, and technologies. With over 7.76 billion consumers outside of the United States, and a rising middle class across Africa, India, Arabia, and Southeast Asia, the demand curve is pointing steeply upward. ^[ii] These regions—many with majority youth populations—are entering their highest-consumption decades, requiring everything from energy and electronics to digital infrastructure and education.

In The Roaring 2000s, Harry Dent predicted unprecedented economic growth driven by demographic trends—particularly Baby Boomers entering their peak spending years—combined with the emergence of the internet, rising tech-driven productivity, accelerating globalization and trade expansion, and the rise of a knowledge-based economy. ^[iii] Now that we have survived the 2000 Clinton Internet Crash losing $10 Trillion, barely survived the Bush-Obama real estate crash of another $9 Trillion in 2009, ^[iv] and we just recently survived the COVID crash of 2020, the global markets are finally poised to rocket forward. ^[v]

America's corporations are already positioned to meet this demand. With major brands operating globally in sectors like technology, healthcare, energy, FinTech, AI, and consumer products, the S&P 500 is more than an index—it’s an international supply chain. As global incomes rise, so too will the foreign revenue streams of U.S. firms.

Tariff Equity: A Game-Changer for American Exports

Despite widespread misinformation, it is a fact that 60 to 100 countries currently impose tariffs on U.S. goods , often without reciprocity. The Trump administration has boldly called for equity in trade, demanding that nations around the world reduce or eliminate unfair trade barriers. These negotiations—combined with public pressure and realpolitik—are already bearing fruit.

As these tariffs are reduced or removed through diplomacy, U.S. companies will gain vastly greater access to foreign markets. This is not theoretical. It is an application of the Laffer Curve: by lowering trade friction, you increase volume, participation, and ultimately revenue.

Since nobody has brought offshore nations to the table to discuss fairness, tariffs can only get better for US businesses by virtue of fair and ethical diplomacy. If just a fraction of these tariff barriers against the USA fall, S&P 500 offshore revenues could hit 50% by 2030 , driven by increased exports, expanded foreign operations, and enhanced global brand loyalty.

America's AI & Innovation Advantage

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing productivity and reshaping global value chains. In this arena, the U.S. stands alone. While socialist economies are constrained by bureaucratic central planning and monopolistic controls, America’s decentralized entrepreneurial system allows millions of businesses to innovate, pivot, and scale using technology and AI . It is probably these basic freedoms that underpin the U.S. dominance in AI, FinTech, Crypto, biotechnology, EdTech, software, defense tech, and more.

America’s advantage is not merely technological—it is cultural and institutional. The U.S. economy rewards risk-taking and competition. New innovation coming out of Silicon Valley, Austin, Boston, and Miami probably far outpaces anything being attempted in top-down systems like: Arabia, Russia, China, and the EU Commission Taxed/Controlled bloc.

Interest Rates & Lending – Fed is Late, But Good Times Ahead

While the Federal Reserve has been too late with adapting the federal funds rate at 4.25–4.50%, multiple indicators suggest a notable easing could be on the horizon. For instance, Chicago Fed’s Austan Goolsbee anticipates rates to be “quite a bit lower” within 12–18 months—noting the path ahead remains “uncertain.”  ^[vi]

Meanwhile, Bankrate’s forecast projects a total of three 25  bp rate cuts in 2025—bringing the target range down to 3.50–3.75% by next year. That would represent a 30–40% reduction in short-term borrowing costs versus current levels. Should inflation continue its downtrend and the labor market soften, the stage will be set for support in growth-oriented sectors like housing, consumer spending, and credit-financed business expansion—key catalysts that could further fuel S&P  500 earnings and valuations. ^[vii] The Federal Reserve suggests there will be 2 more cuts this year. ^[viii]

The Trump Doctrine: A Fair, Competitive Economic Playing Field

President Trump’s economic philosophy represents a powerful fusion of laissez-faire incentives and command-style strategic clarity. By making corporate taxes fair, eliminating burdensome regulations, and strengthening property rights, the U.S. has become a magnet for global investment due to the USA’s relatively low sovereign risk. Simultaneously, Trump’s tough trade stance and focus on equitable agreements provide an umbrella of fairness and ethics that protects American businesses from exploitation.

This dual-pronged approach is fostering a stable, safe, and opportunity-rich business environment that is drawing capital from around the globe. Multinationals and entrepreneurs alike are increasingly choosing to launch, expand, or relocate operations in the U.S.—not just for tax advantages, but because of fair jurisdictions, reliable labor markets, and institutional strength.

American Firms in South Asia, Arabia & Africa

The combined populations of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand exceed 500 million people, representing one of the largest and youngest labor forces in the world. As global manufacturing diversifies in Asia, many companies are turning to Southeast Asia, where workers are not only abundant but also willing to work for wages significantly lower than other nations.

This along with help from Mexico and Canada creates regional supply-chain advantages which is fueling a new wave of industrial growth, foreign investment, and supply chain diversification, positioning these nations as key players in the next chapter of global economic expansion. Further, India has another 1.46 billion customers and workers looking for jobs, and Africa has another 1.5 billion with the Arabian sector having over 500 million.

Keep your eyes on Africa, Arabia, India and South Asia as key drivers of S&P 500 Growth in the coming 5 years. Like Sir John Templeton who made his name investing early in Japan, many will make their new fortunes in places like Indonesia, Guyana, Niger, or the UAE.

The Delayed Boom of Emerging Markets

Five years ago, economists at firms like Schwab predicted that this would be the decade of emerging market growth. ^[ix] That boom has yet to fully materialize—held back by COVID, war, and inflation. But the fundamentals are still in place: Billions of young workers in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East are moving into the workforce. These populations will soon become the world’s largest consumer bases.

U.S. companies stand to benefit the most from this delayed supercycle. Whether it’s selling healthcare technology to Nairobi, security solutions to Hyderabad, or software to Jakarta, localized American firms may become a supplier of choice for the world’s most dynamic regions.

S&P 500 Historical Growth Projections

A recent Barron’s article suggests also that the S&P will hit 10,000 in the coming 5 years. ^[x] This is a 67% improvement in the coming 5 years. So, the S&P 500 must grow at approximately 10.7% per year from 2025 to 2030 to reach 10,000 by the end of 2030. This is well within historical average total return ranges for the S&P 500 (typically 9–12% per year). According to the Efficient Market Hypothesis, since known information is already priced into stocks, you don’t need to pick individual stocks—investing in the S&P 500 is likely to outperform many active strategies over the next five years particularly if your index funds have reasonably low fees. ^[xi]

Conclusion: The S&P 500’s Global Springboard

The USA is on the cusp of something enormous: a global economic awakening aligned with a uniquely favorable position for U.S. business. Consider this:

• Over 7.5 billion people are outside of the U.S.
• Up to 60-100 nations are under pressure to reduce tariffs on American products for the first time in decades due to strategic diplomacy;
• U.S. firms lead the world in AI, FinTech, software, and innovation;
• America offers a safe, fair, and growth-focused regulatory climate;
• Global demand—especially in emerging markets of Arabia, India, South Asia, and Africa —is about to surge.
• Wars and Conflicts will be forced to settle which would ease the movement of goods, people and services. If not, then oil and gas, defense, and other sectors will lead the S&P as it still makes money during conflicts. As with the Ukraine war, it is now obvious that traditional wars with soldiers on the ground do not appear effective anymore with drones everywhere.
• Further, all of this global demand for financial security and investing will drive up commodity prices including gold, silver, platinum and copper along with driving up other secure crypto currencies and tokens.

The media can no longer afford to ignore fundamental economic realities. Today, we face global tariff imbalances, tax inequities, U.S. advantages in entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence, demographic shifts, emerging market growth potential, and ongoing confusion over Federal Reserve interest rate policy. Moreover, U.S. companies are competing against more than 200 nations in the race for tax fairness and global market access.

Without considering the full macroeconomic picture, much of the discourse from Washington and New York media simply recycles outdated narratives. In light of these converging forces, it's reasonable to anticipate that S&P 500 companies will soon generate half of their revenues from international markets. If this trajectory continues—driven by profit growth, global expansion, and rising productivity—the next five years could mark one of the most dynamic and profitable periods in the history of the U.S. stock market.

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Commissioner George Mentz JD MBA CILS CWM® is the first in the USA to rank as a Top 50 Influencer & Thought Leader in: Management, PM, HR, FinTech, Wealth Management, and B2B according to Onalytica.com and Thinkers360.com. George Mentz JD MBA CILS is a CWM Chartered Wealth Manager ®, global speaker - educator, tax-economist, international lawyer and CEO of the GAFM Global Academy of Finance & Management ®. The GAFM is a EU accredited graduate body that trains and certifies professionals in 150+ nations under standards of the: US Dept of Education, ACBSP, ISO 21001, ISO 991, ISO 29993, QAHE, ECLBS, and ISO 29990 standards. Mentz is also an award-winning author and award winning graduate law professor of wealth management of one of the top 30 ranked law schools in the USA.Mentzenborg is just a term of art to describe the theory and process by George Mentz JD MBA ChE. CWM is for Chartered Wealth Manager ® and ChE Chartered Economist ® is a credential for economics professionals

^[i] International revenues dip for group of S&P 500 companies in Q2 2024 | S&P Global

^[ii] United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), World Population Prospects 2024

^[iii] Dent, H. S. Jr. (1998). The Roaring 2000s: Building the Wealth and Lifestyle You Desire in the Greatest Boom in History . New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 9780684842335

^[iv] Bernanke, B. (2015). The Courage to Act. W. W. Norton & Company.

^[v] Shiller, R. J. (2000). Irrational Exuberance. Princeton University Press.

^[vi] Fed's Goolsbee sees lower interest rates in a year's time, but warns of uncertainties, FT reports | Reuters

^[vii] Bankrate’s Interest Rate Forecast For 2025 | Bankrate

^[viii] Fed Sees Two Rate Cuts in 2025, Keeps Rate Steady | Newsmax.com

^[ix] Schwab's Market Perspective | Charles Schwab

^[x] Yardeni Sees New S&P 500 High at 10,000. ‘Animal Spirits Are Back.’ - Barron's

^[xi] Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH): Definition and Critique