2024 to be a tough one for equities, says Morgan Stanley

2024 to be a tough one for equities, says Morgan Stanley
Bearish strategist Michael Wilson sees challenging times ahead for riak assets.
SEP 18, 2023
By  Bloomberg

After a sharp stock rally this year on the back of resilient economic growth, investors now have a more negative outlook for risk assets in 2024, according to Morgan Stanley’s Michael Wilson.

The strategist — who has retained his bearish view on equities in 2023 despite a 16% advance for the S&P 500 — said there’s a growing debate among clients about whether a recession has been avoided altogether or if it has just been delayed until 2024.

“The majority of investors we’ve spoken with are in the ‘pushed out’ camp and are of the view that 2024 is now looking like a more challenging year for risk assets relative to 2023,” Wilson wrote in a note.

The rally in U.S. stocks in 2023, driven by bets of peaking interest rates and better-than-expected economic growth, defied bearish forecasts coming into the year. A slate of strategists including Societe Generale’s Manish Kabra and BNP Paribas SA’s Greg Boutle recently boosted their year-end targets for the S&P 500. Wilson’s latest year-end target still implies a more than 10% drop for the benchmark.

Latest News

Trump to name new Fed governor, jobs data head in coming days
Trump to name new Fed governor, jobs data head in coming days

President says he has a ‘couple of people in mind’ for central bank role.

JPMorgan’s asset management arm targets Europe retail investors in active ETF tie-up
JPMorgan’s asset management arm targets Europe retail investors in active ETF tie-up

Wall Street firm partners with Dutch online broker to fuel push into EU market.

UBS to settle outstanding Credit Suisse RMBS case with $300M payment
UBS to settle outstanding Credit Suisse RMBS case with $300M payment

Agreement with the US Department of Justice comes eight years after settlement.

GeoWealth secures $38M in funding round led by major alternative investment manager
GeoWealth secures $38M in funding round led by major alternative investment manager

Series C funding will accelerate unification of TAMP’s model portfolios.

No succession plan? No worries. Just practice in place
No succession plan? No worries. Just practice in place

While industry statistics pointing to a succession crisis can cause alarm, advisor-owners should be free to consider a middle path between staying solo and catching the surging wave of M&A.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.