Valuation – Shiller Cyclically-Adjusted S&P 500 Price-to-Earnings Ratio On the Shiller CAPE, U.S. stocks are back in the stratosphere, the kind that thrills investors on the way up and has a habit of burning them on the way down. Levels like this have a track record of slimmer returns and higher risk. Image: Goldman Sachs…
Median Monthly Flow into Equity Mutual Funds and ETFs as a % of Total AUM August rivals May as the worst month for equity outflows from mutual funds and ETFs. As geopolitical risk builds, should investors start buying protection?. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
U.S. Tech Sector Flows Despite the pullback in tech names, the money isn’t leaving: Tech inflows persist and semi ETFs are still seeing heavy volume. This looks like a consolidation, not the end of the tech/AI trade. Image: Strategas Asset Management
10-Year Rolling Annualized Equity vs. Bond Performance (Ex Post Equity Risk Premia) On a 10-year rolling annualized basis, U.S. equities have outperformed bonds by one of the widest margins since the 1920s and 1950s. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
NAAIM Exposure Index – Investor Sentiment The NAAIM Exposure Index at 79.70 shows that active managers are still risk-on, with robust U.S. equity exposure and a bullish outlook. The National Association of Active Investment Managers Exposure Index represents the two-week moving average exposure to U.S. equity markets reported by NAAIM members. Image: NAAIM
Foreign Holdings of U.S. Treasury Securities U.S. Treasuries continue to draw strong foreign demand. Holdings rose to a record $9.37 trillion in May, but the buying power has passed from foreign central banks to private balance sheets. That marks a structural shift. Image: Real Investment Advice
Equity Positioning At the 36th percentile, overall equity positioning sits just below neutral and well short of crowded, while large-cap tech at the 56th percentile is near neutral after easing from more elevated levels. Image: Deutsche Bank Asset Allocation
Equities Allocation by G10 and U.S. Investors Across the G10, equity exposure in household, pension, and insurance portfolios has moved up significantly, nearing record highs. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Change in S&P 500 Quarterly Earnings Consensus Unlike the usual pattern of downward revisions during the season, S&P 500 earnings estimates turned out to be too conservative. Third-quarter numbers are now moving higher, a positive sign for earnings momentum. Image: Deutsche Bank Asset Allocation
Magnificent Seven 12-Month Forward P/E Valuations for the Magnificent Seven have come down meaningfully from their peak and now sit near the lower end of the past seven years. They’re still not a bargain, but the risk‑reward looks much more balanced. Image: Bloomberg
U.S. Equity Risk Indicator The U.S. Equity Risk Indicator is at a level that has historically pointed to weakness over the short to intermediate term. But markets can stay stretched far longer than logic suggests, then break down much faster than anyone expects. Image: BCA Research