Buyers imagine the inventory market is about for losses, and money is greatest protected haven, CNBC survey reveals

Wall Avenue traders imagine the inventory market is headed for losses after a constructive first quarter, seeing money as one of the best protected haven proper now, in line with the brand new CNBC Delivering Alpha investor survey.

We polled about 400 chief funding officers, fairness strategists, portfolio managers and CNBC contributors who handle cash about the place they stood on the markets for the second quarter and ahead. The survey was carried out over the previous week. 

Almost 70% of respondents mentioned the S&P 500 may see declines forward. Thirty-five p.c of the traders imagine the largest danger to the market this 12 months is a misstep by the Federal Reserve, whereas one other 32% mentioned persistent inflation poses essentially the most urgent risk.

The market has been notably resilient to this point even within the face of a banking disaster and steady tightening from the Fed. The S&P 500 is on monitor to publish a profitable quarter, up greater than 5%, after equities staged a giant comeback with the federal government’s emergency rescue measures that helped stem the chaos within the banking business.

“Financial considerations enveloping recession fears have not vanished because the yield curve nonetheless represents a counter to the market’s climb increased,” mentioned Quincy Krosby, chief international strategist at LPL Monetary. “But when the market can proceed to edge increased despite a wall of fear that appears to climb increased with every new headline, it begs the query who’s proper, and which aspect is extra prescient.”

The Fed enacted 1 / 4 share level rate of interest enhance final week, whereas signaling another charge hike coming this 12 months. Many traders imagine the central financial institution ought to reverse course instantly as extra charge hikes will exacerbate banking issues and trigger a extreme financial slowdown. Nevertheless, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell explicitly mentioned charge cuts should not his base case.

DoubleLine Capital CEO Jeffrey Gundlach just lately mentioned the bond market is screaming {that a} recession is imminent, and he sees the Fed beginning to decrease rates of interest “considerably” within the close to future. Mike Wilson, Morgan Stanley’s chief funding officer, mentioned this week that traders are nonetheless too optimistic about company earnings, and a extreme deterioration is about to pull shares decrease.

With an general bearish view available on the market, 60% of the traders mentioned money is their protected haven proper now. The latest banking turmoil has pushed important inflows into cash market funds, which noticed belongings enhance to a report of $5.2 trillion as of Wednesday, in line with the Funding Firm Institute.

“Cash market yields >4% are exhausting to withstand forward of a slowdown, and the ‘choice worth’ of money retains rising,” Jared Woodard, Financial institution of America’s Funding & ETF Strategist, mentioned in a word.

Goldman Sachs’ head of asset allocation analysis Christian Mueller-Glissmann additionally set a desire for money over equities world wide as he mentioned the banking stress triggered a pointy danger urge for food reversal.