Even in a year crowded with superlatives and multiple records, the Nasdaq has managed to outshine its peers, running up nearly 30% in 2017. And the tech-laden index is expected to have another banner year in 2018 as it charges toward 8,000, according to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst. “It may be difficult for some investors to believe, but the Nasdaq Composite has trended higher above its March 2000 peak of 5,132 since late 2016,” wrote Stephen Suttmeier, a technical research analyst at Bank of America, in a report out Wednesday. “The rising channel from 2011 on the monthly semi-log chart shows Nasdaq resistance at 7,460 to start the year and moving to 8,000 by July-August 2018.” If Suttmeier’s forecast plays out, that means the Nasdaq COMP, +0.20% will rise roughly 16% in the next seven to eight months. The analyst highlighted the benchmark’s bullish acceleration this year, which resembled its trajectory in 2013. He projected 2018 to emulate the trend from 2014, when the Nasdaq “hugged” the upper range of the channel.via