ISM Manufacturing Index and S&P 500 Cyclicals vs. Defensives This chart shows the nice correlation between ISM Manufacturing Index and S&P 500 Cyclicals vs. Defensives. Image: Nordea and Macrobond
Bloomberg Dollar Index One-Month Risk Reversals Currency markets are turning defensive, as demand for dollar upside and protection against violent swings gains pace amid Middle East tensions. Few things spook investors like uncertainty, and the greenback remains their safe haven. Image: Bloomberg
Risk Appetite Indicator Goldman Sachs’s Risk Appetite Indicator has slipped after recent events, sitting just below neutral, as markets take a more defensive stance. Market sentiment has clearly cooled amid growing uncertainty. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Sector Weights in the S&P 500 U.S. defensive sectors, excluding pharma and biotech, remain near their lowest share of the S&P 500 since 1990, even after a tech-led rotation nudged investors to trim some of their technology exposure. Image: Deutsche Bank
Gold to S&P 500 Ratio Gold’s outperformance has pushed the Gold-to-S&P 500 ratio to its highest since 2013, signaling a defensive shift but not yet the kind of rush to safety seen during crisis years. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Bitcoin Price and 365-Day Moving Average A break below the 365-day moving average puts Bitcoin on the defensive. Add in thin dip demand, margin pressure, and souring sentiment, and the setup looks ripe for institutional players to stay sidelined until clarity emerges. Image: Bloomberg
U.S. vs. Non-U.S. Equity and U.S. vs. Europe Equity and Real Trade-Weighted US Dollar Index The start of 2025 marks a significant pause-and possible reversal-in U.S. equity exceptionalism. Whether this is a temporary pause or a fundamental shift remains to be seen, but the landscape for global investors has changed. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment…
Valuation – S&P 500 Trailing 4Q P/E Bullish investors stay long until the trailing PE ratio of the S&P 500 exceeds 25x, signaling potential overvaluation and higher risk, prompting reassessment and defensive strategy shift. Image: BofA Global Investment Strategy
What Is the Best Way to Position in Equities in the Current Environment? Should investors favor defensive equities in the current environment of slow economic growth with inflation? Image: J.P. Morgan
S&P 500 Industry Group Return Macro Correlations Should investors still favor defensive value? Image: Stifel
G3 Credit Impulse and MSCI ACWI vs. 10-Year UST (Leading Indicator) Is it time to switch to defensives? Image: Oxford Economics