Morgan Stanley Wealth Management announced the results of its quarterly retail investor pulse survey:
- Bearishness rose. The majority (51%) of investors are now bearish—up 9 percentage points from last quarter.
- Inflation tops tariffs as chief worry. Over two out of five (41%) investors say inflation is their top portfolio concern, followed by tariffs in second with 35%, and market volatility in third with 24%.
- Rate-cut optimism fades. Less than half of investors (48%) believe the U.S. economy is healthy enough for rate cuts, down from 59% last quarter.
- Yet investors are staying the course. 37% of investors do not plan to make changes to their portfolio, down only two percentage points from last quarter. Further, less than 1 in 5 (17%) plan to move to the sidelines in cash.
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“Despite pronounced economic uncertainty and market volatility, investors seem to be sticking with their investing plans,” said Chris Larkin, Managing Director, Head of Trading and Investing, E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley. “While optimism has faded and traders may be a bit rattled, timing the market can be a fool’s errand especially as we’ve witnessed recent unpredicted twists and turns.”
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The survey explored investor views on sector opportunities for the second quarter of 2025:
- IT – Amid continued interest in AI and chips, technology remains the top choice for investors (48%)—though interest dropped four percentage points.
- Energy – Traders continue to see opportunity in energy (41%) despite oil prices dipping.
- Health care – With market and economic uncertainty at the forefront, interest in health care remained steady (32%) as it can be a ballast amid a market in slow growth mode.
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Source – PR Newswire
