Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Pulse Survey Reveals Investors Grow Bearish on the Market

Rhea-AI Summary

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management releases results from quarterly investor survey

Positive

• Investors are cautiously optimistic about the economy
• Bearish sentiment has increased by 4 percentage points to 49%
• Over half of investors believe the economy will improve by the end of the year
• 41% of investors expect the Fed to cut rates in the first half of 2024 or sooner
• High inflation is the top concern for investment portfolios
• Energy sector sees increased interest as oil prices rise
• Technology remains a popular choice for investors
• Healthcare is a defensive investment choice amid market volatility

Negative

• None.

Yet investors appear optimistic on the economy

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Morgan Stanley Wealth Management today announced results from its quarterly individual investor pulse survey:

Photo credit: Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

• Bearishness ticks up. Bearish sentiment notched up 4 percentage points to 49% from last quarter—nearing Q1 levels (52%).
• Views on the economy remain cautiously optimistic. Slightly over half of investors (55%) believe the economy will be in better shape by the end of year and think we’ll see inflation normalize (52%). Further, just over two in five investors (41%) think the Fed will cut rates in the first half of 2024 or sooner.
• Yet, inflation continues to be a top concern. When it comes to investment portfolios, investors ranked high inflation as their top concern (51%), followed by a recession, (32%) and market volatility (31%).

“As we approach the end of 2023, headwinds abound with continued elevated inflation and geopolitical tensions on the rise,” said Mike Loewengart, Head of Model Portfolio Construction for Morgan Stanley Portfolio Solutions. “Yet somewhat remarkably, the economy has continued to chug along—particularly on the jobs front. This leaves investors facing a conundrum—a resilient economy coupled with a volatile market. Environments like these show the power of a diversified portfolio, which can help an investor weather whatever may be ahead for the market. The goal is to invest through the volatility, not react to it.”

The survey explored investor views on sector opportunities for the fourth quarter of 2023:

• Energy – Interest in energy spiked 4 percentage points and took the top spot in investment opportunities this quarter as oil prices were driven higher. Elevated crude prices can translate to potential gains in the sector.
• IT – Technology continues to be a mainstay in investor portfolios with interest remaining strong (46%) but dropping 5 percentage points quarter over quarter.
• Health care – Amid volatility, investors tend to focus on historically defensive areas of the market like health care. Interest remained relatively flat (36%) and rounded out the top 3 investment choices for the quarter.

About the Survey
This wave of the survey was conducted from October 2 to October 16 of 2023 among an online US sample of 908 self-directed investors, investors who fully delegate investment account management to financial professionals, and investors who utilize both. The survey has a margin of error of ±3.20 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. It was fielded and administered by Dynata. The panel is broken into thirds by investable assets: less than $500k, between $500k to $1 million, and over $1 million. The panel is 60% male and 40% female and self-select as having moderate+ investing experience, with an even distribution across geographic regions, and age bands.

About Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a global leader, provides access to a wide range of products and services to individuals, businesses and institutions, including brokerage and investment advisory services, financial and wealth planning, cash management and lending products and services, annuities and insurance, retirement and trust services.

About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 42 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

This has been prepared for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument, or to participate in any trading strategy. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. Morgan Stanley recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor.

Morgan Stanley Portfolio Solutions are portfolios available in our Select UMA platform under either Firm Discretionary UMA or Managed Advisory Portfolio Solutions. Please see the Select UMA ADV at www.morganstanley.com/ADV

Past performance is not a guarantee or indicative of future performance. Historical data shown represents past performance and does not guarantee comparable future results.

This material contains forward-looking statements and there can be no guarantee that they will come to pass.
Diversification and asset allocation do not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market.

This material should not be viewed as investment advice or recommendations with respect to asset allocation or any particular investment.
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and Dynata are not affiliates.
© 2023 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

Referenced Data

When it comes to the current market are you?
	Q1‘23	Q2’23	Q3’23	Q4’23
	Total	Total	Total	Total
Bearish	52%	48%	45%	49%
Bullish	48%	52%	55%	51%

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements: The U.S. economy will be in better shape than it currently is by the end of this quarter.
	Q4’23
	Total
Top 2	55%
Strongly agree	23%
Somewhat agree	32%
Neither agree nor disagree	18%
Somewhat disagree	17%
Strongly disagree	10%

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements: Inflation will continue to slow, and we will reach normal levels of inflation by the end of the year.
	Q4’23
	Total
Top 2	52%
Strongly agree	18%
Somewhat agree	34%
Neither agree nor disagree	17%
Somewhat disagree	19%
Strongly disagree	12%

When do you expect the Fed to first cut rates?
	Q4’23
	Total
Top 2	41%
Q4 2023	11%
1H 2024	30%
2H 2024	26%
Not until 2025	16%
I don’t know	11%
I don’t think they will cut rates	6%

Which of the following are you most concerned about when it comes to your portfolio?
	Q4’23
	Total
High inflation	51%
A recession	32%
Market volatility	31%
Energy costs	18%
Earnings	18%
Fed monetary policy	17%
Russia/Ukraine conflict	10%
Narrow market driven by mega-caps	4%
None	1%
Other	1%

What industries do you think offer the most potential this quarter? (Top three)
	Q3’23	Q4’23
	Total	Total
Energy	43%	47%
Information technology	51%	46%
Health care	34%	36%
Financials	28%	29%
Real estate	30%	28%
Utilities	25%	24%
Consumer staples	22%	23%
Communication services	18%	20%
Industrials	18%	19%
Materials	17%	17%
Consumer discretionary	14%	11%

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231016936725/en/

Media Relations Contact: Lynn Cocchiola, Lynn.Cocchiola@morganstanley.com

Source: Morgan Stanley

What are the results of Morgan Stanley's quarterly investor pulse survey?

The survey shows that investors are cautiously optimistic about the economy.

How much has bearish sentiment increased?

Bearish sentiment has increased by 4 percentage points to 49%.

What percentage of investors believe the economy will improve by the end of the year?

Over half of investors (55%) believe the economy will be in better shape by the end of the year.

What percentage of investors expect the Fed to cut rates in the first half of 2024 or sooner?

41% of investors think the Fed will cut rates in the first half of 2024 or sooner.

What is the top concern for investment portfolios?

High inflation is the top concern for investment portfolios.

Which sectors are investors showing increased interest in?

Investors are showing increased interest in the energy sector.

Which sector remains popular among investors?

Technology remains a popular choice for investors.

What is a defensive investment choice amid market volatility?

Healthcare is a defensive investment choice amid market volatility.