Stockmarkets shrug off turbulence
Stockmarkets have hit their first bout of turbulence of the year, but most are clinging onto January’s gains.
The rampage of the Reddit bulls has made more conventional investors take cover. America’s S&P 500 had its worst week since October, closing down 1.9% last Friday. Perhaps most tellingly, the CBOE VIX volatility index, the stockmarket’s “fear gauge”, registered its biggest weekly gain since June last year. The index had stayed beneath 25 for most of the period since Biden’s election victory, but finished last week at 32.4.
For many institutional investors, the spectacle of “retail investors piling into particular stocks” and pushing prices to absurd levels brings back uncomfortable memories of the dotcom bubble, says Rupert Thompson of Kingswood. The drama helped global shares lose almost 4% last week, erasing their gains for the year so far.
The “skirmishes” between hedge funds and Reddit’s “vengeful legions” may have seized the headlines, but financially speaking the whole thing is a rounding error, says Cormac Mullen on Bloomberg. The shares being shorted in the likes of GameStop and other hedge-fund targets amount to “less than 0.001% of the $43trn stockmarket”, according to figures from Barclays. Yet with US equity valuations so high, anything that makes people forget their “greed and fear” and consider “prudence” is salutary.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Markets have hit their first bout of turbulence of the year, but most are clinging onto January’s gains. China’s CSI 300 is up by 4.4% so far this year, while America’s S&P 500 has climbed more than 3.5%. The major laggard has been Europe, where Germany’s DAX has gained just 0.7% for the year. After a strong start the FTSE 100 is marginally down. Therein lies opportunity: British stocks, as MoneyWeek often points out, are trading at a discount to their global peers, and are worth scooping up.
-
Buying a property is cheaper than renting again – how much could you save?
News Zoopla research shows it is now 8% cheaper to buy than rent. We reveal the places where you can save more by getting on the property ladder.
By Marc Shoffman Published
-
Is now a good time to invest in India?
Should you invest in India? Its market has stood out of the emerging market pack, helped by a growing pool of domestic investors.
By Cris Sholto Heaton Published
-
Is now a good time to invest in India?
Should you invest in India? Its market has stood out of the emerging market pack, helped by a growing pool of domestic investors.
By Cris Sholto Heaton Published
-
Shein prepares for London Stock Exchange listing
Shein plans for a London Stock Exchange listing after facing hurdles in New York. It’s in a race against time. Matthew Partridge reports
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published
-
Energy investment is essential for AI and sustainability
Energy investment is vital to drive an AI revolution or green boom. So, why does the sector remain unloved?
By Cris Sholto Heaton Published
-
Top infrastructure stocks to buy
Matthew Norris, director of Real Estate Securities at Gravis Advisory Limited picks three infrastructure stocks to buy
By Matthew Norris Published
-
Meta’s AI splurge rattles investors
Meta's decision to join the AI race is driving investors away
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published
-
Is it a good time to invest in the UK?
Temple Bar Investment Trust is a diversified bet on British equities and looks excellent value, says Max King
By Max King Published
-
Top-quality, rapidly growing European stocks are selling at enticing valuations
Timothy Lewis, portfolio manager at JPMorgan European Growth & Income tells us where he’d put his money
By Timothy Lewis Published
-
Should you sell in May this year?
The market adage looks unlikely to apply in 2024, and global equities are proving resilient. Should you sell in May?
By Max King Published