Barclays’ Venu Krishna Talks U.S. Market Outlook on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street

When CNBC rolled out its “Squawk on the Street” segment on the morning of July 21, 2026, the camera settled on Venu Krishna, the man who steers Barclays’ U.S. equity strategy. At the time of the interview he was listed on LinkedIn as Head of U.S. Equity Strategy & Global Equity‑Linked Strategies at Barclays Investment Bank, a role he’s held since August 2022 after succeeding Maneesh Deshpande.

Krishna didn’t waste any breath. He opened with the familiar line – “Markets have been volatile, but there’s still plenty to be optimistic about.” It sounded like a stock‑room pep talk, yet what followed was a mix of data‑driven nuance and candid asides that made the nine‑minute conversation feel more like a coffee‑break chat than a corporate briefing.

He walked the audience through his latest S&P 500 year‑end target – a fresh 7,650 points set in March 2026. The number, he admitted, is higher than the 7,400 range he’d penciled in a year earlier, reflecting a modest rally in earnings expectations and a surprisingly resilient consumer sector. The audience, many of whom have been tracking his targets on sites like AnaChart, will recall that his 2023‑2025 calls missed the mark, so the raised target naturally sparked a few skeptical eyebrows.

Krishna’s confidence, however, wasn’t blind. He flagged three “caution flags” that keep him up at night: a potential slowdown in discretionary spending, lingering supply‑chain jitters on the West Coast, and the ever‑present possibility of a rate‑policy surprise from the Fed. He was quick to note that while the data is mixed, the depth of the U.S. equity market – especially the small‑ and mid‑cap segments he oversees – gives investors a cushion that many overseas markets lack.

Beyond the numbers, the interview gave a glimpse into his background. Before joining Barclays back in 2008, Krishna cut his teeth at Lehman Brothers and later at Citigroup, building a reputation for blending macro‑economic insights with a hands‑on approach to equity‑linked derivatives. A quick glance at his LinkedIn shows he’s amassed over 3,000 followers and maintains a steady presence on Barclays’ own “Flip Side” podcast, where he recently debated whether AI‑driven investing is a fleeting fad or a lasting shift.

In the final minutes, he tossed a seasoned‑analyst’s piece of advice at the viewers: “Don’t get hung up on any single forecast. Look at the trends, keep an eye on valuation spreads, and remember that markets love to surprise.” The sentiment felt almost personal, as if he were speaking directly to a colleague across a trading floor rather than a national TV audience.

Whether you agree with his numbers or not, the interview reminded us why someone like Venu Krishna matters in today’s noisy financial landscape – he brings a data‑backed perspective, a dash of humility, and a willingness to admit that even the best‑laid plans can be upended by a single data point.