The Performance of the S&P 500 Before and After Midterm Elections History has been kind to investors after midterms. In all 20 midterm elections since World War II, the S&P 500 has been higher nine months later every time. Image: Deutsche Bank
S&P 500 Median Monthly Realized Volatility – Midterm Election Years vs. All Years Midterm years usually bring more turbulence to the S&P 500, particularly in October, while the market waits to see who ends up controlling Congress and how that reshapes taxes, regulation and spending. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Valuation – Shiller Cyclically-Adjusted S&P 500 Price-to-Earnings Ratio On the Shiller CAPE, U.S. stocks are back in the stratosphere, the kind that thrills investors on the way up and has a habit of burning them on the way down. Levels like this have a track record of slimmer returns and higher risk. Image: Goldman Sachs…
Median Monthly Flow into Equity Mutual Funds and ETFs as a % of Total AUM August rivals May as the worst month for equity outflows from mutual funds and ETFs. As geopolitical risk builds, should investors start buying protection?. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
U.S. Tech Sector Flows Despite the pullback in tech names, the money isn’t leaving: Tech inflows persist and semi ETFs are still seeing heavy volume. This looks like a consolidation, not the end of the tech/AI trade. Image: Strategas Asset Management
10-Year Rolling Annualized Equity vs. Bond Performance (Ex Post Equity Risk Premia) On a 10-year rolling annualized basis, U.S. equities have outperformed bonds by one of the widest margins since the 1920s and 1950s. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Foreign Holdings of U.S. Treasury Securities U.S. Treasuries continue to draw strong foreign demand. Holdings rose to a record $9.37 trillion in May, but the buying power has passed from foreign central banks to private balance sheets. That marks a structural shift. Image: Real Investment Advice
Equity Positioning At the 36th percentile, overall equity positioning sits just below neutral and well short of crowded, while large-cap tech at the 56th percentile is near neutral after easing from more elevated levels. Image: Deutsche Bank Asset Allocation
Sector Fund Flows Tech funds enjoyed strong inflows over the past year, driven by AI hype, but those flows are reversing as investors reassess valuations, rates and market risk. The tech story isn’t over; it’s just a crowded trade losing momentum. Image: Deutsche Bank Asset Allocation
Equities Allocation by G10 and U.S. Investors Across the G10, equity exposure in household, pension, and insurance portfolios has moved up significantly, nearing record highs. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Change in S&P 500 Quarterly Earnings Consensus Unlike the usual pattern of downward revisions during the season, S&P 500 earnings estimates turned out to be too conservative. Third-quarter numbers are now moving higher, a positive sign for earnings momentum. Image: Deutsche Bank Asset Allocation