Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives predicts a major tech sector expansion driven by artificial intelligence and deregulation under President-elect Donald Trump ‘s administration, forecasting the Nasdaq could reach 25,000 within 18 months.

What Happened : Speaking on CNBC’s “Closing Bell,” Ives described Trump’s incoming administration as a “Goldilocks scenario” for tech companies, citing expected regulatory relief from agencies including the Federal Trade Commission.

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“Let’s get the popcorn out for what will be the AI revolution,” Ives said, emphasizing that the sector’s current surge is “just getting started.” He explained that AI’s multiplier effect is spreading across the technology landscape, impacting everything from software to cybersecurity infrastructure.

The analyst expects 80% to 90% of regulatory concerns to diminish under Trump, though some Department of Justice antitrust investigations into companies like Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL ) (NASDAQ: GOOG ) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL ) will continue.

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Why It Matters : Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT ) stands to gain the most through mergers and acquisitions, according to Ives, while Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA ) emerges as the “biggest winner at the top of the mountain,” partly due to CEO Elon Musk ‘s early alignment with Trump.

Addressing current tech adoption, Ives noted that only 45% of workloads currently operate in cloud environments, predicting a dramatic increase as more AI use cases emerge. “It’s 10:00 p.m. in the AI party, and now the velvet ropes are open,” he said.

The forecast comes as multiple tech CEOs plan meetings with the president-elect in Palm Beach, signaling potentially closer cooperation between Silicon Valley and the incoming administration.

In January, Ives predicted that the Nasdaq would reach the 20,000 mark in 2024 , and his forecast has proven accurate, with the index now trading at 20,173.

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