The Flow Show

50 for the Little Guy

Authored By
Analyst Name Michael Hartnett
Analyst Email michael.hartnett@bofa.com
Analyst Designation Investment Strategist
Analyst Region BofAS
Analyst Phone +1 646 855 1508
Analyst Name Elyas Galou
Employed by a non-US affiliate of BofAS and is not registered/qualified as a research analyst under the FINRA rules.
Analyst Email elyas.galou@bofa.com
Analyst Designation Investment Strategist
Analyst Region BofASE (France)
Analyst Phone +33 1 8770 0087
Analyst Name Anya Shelekhin
Analyst Email anya.shelekhin@bofa.com
Analyst Designation Investment Strategist
Analyst Region BofAS
Analyst Phone +1 646 855 3753
Analyst Name Myung-Jee Jung
Analyst Email myung-jee.jung@bofa.com
Analyst Designation Investment Strategist
Analyst Region BofAS
Analyst Phone +1 646 855 0389
Report Details
20 September 2024 Corrected Investment Strategy Global

The Flow Show

50 for the Little Guy

Authored By
Analyst Name Michael Hartnett
Analyst Email michael.hartnett@bofa.com
Analyst Designation Investment Strategist
Analyst Region BofAS
Analyst Phone +1 646 855 1508
Analyst Name Elyas Galou
Employed by a non-US affiliate of BofAS and is not registered/qualified as a research analyst under the FINRA rules.
Analyst Email elyas.galou@bofa.com
Analyst Designation Investment Strategist
Analyst Region BofASE (France)
Analyst Phone +33 1 8770 0087
Analyst Name Anya Shelekhin
Analyst Email anya.shelekhin@bofa.com
Analyst Designation Investment Strategist
Analyst Region BofAS
Analyst Phone +1 646 855 3753
Analyst Name Myung-Jee Jung
Analyst Email myung-jee.jung@bofa.com
Analyst Designation Investment Strategist
Analyst Region BofAS
Analyst Phone +1 646 855 0389
Report Details
20 September 2024 Corrected Investment Strategy Global
Glossary
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Trading ideas and investment strategies discussed herein may give rise to significant risk and are not suitable for all investors. Investors should have experience in relevant markets and the financial resources to absorb any losses arising from applying these ideas or strategies.

>> Employed by a non-US affiliate of BofAS and is not registered/qualified as a research analyst under the FINRA rules.

Refer to "Other Important Disclosures" for information on certain BofA Securities entities that take responsibility for the information herein in particular jurisdictions.

BofA Securities does and seeks to do business with issuers covered in its research reports. As a result, investors should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should consider this report as only a single factor in making their investment decision.

 

 

Key takeaways
  • Fed slashing to prevent US small biz sector cutting jobs...Wall St. loves "panic cuts" when no panic
  • Landing "tells"...PSP >$70 = soft, GNR>$60, KRE>$60, EEM >$45 = no landing, GT30 yield <3.75% = hard landing
  • International stocks & resources = best soft landing plays; we BTD bonds & gold for recession/inflation "tails"

BofA Data Analytics


The Flow Show

 

Chart 1: BofA Bull & Bear Indicator

Down to 5.2 from 5.4

Chart 1: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy The indicator identified above as the BofA Bull & Bear Indicator is intended to be an indicative metric only and may not be used for reference purposes or as a measure of performance for any financial instrument or contract, or otherwise relied upon by third parties for any other purpose, without the prior written consent of BofA Global Research. This indicator was not created to act as a benchmark.

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

The Flow Show
  

Scores on the Doors: gold 25.0%, crypto 17.3%, stocks 17.3%, HY bonds 8.3%, IG bonds 5.4%, cash 3.9%, commodities 2.6%, govt bonds 2.1%, oil 0.5%, US$ -0.7% YTD.

The Biggest Picture: Wall St loves "panic cuts" when no panic (Chart 2); 50bps as Fed wants to slash real rates to prevent recessionary small biz sector cutting jobs (Chart 3); Wall St chase says Fed "ahead of curve" and 250bps cuts = 15-20% EPS growth in '25; best "soft landing" plays = international stocks & commodities; we use rip to buy dips in Bonds & Bullion to hedge recession & inflation "tails".

The Price is Right: soft landing tell = private equity ETF (PSP) >$70 (the '21 high when Fed funds 0.25%...says big rate cuts bullish macro); no landing tell = GNR>$60, KRE>$60, EEM>$45…says Wall St inflation will mutate to Main St; hard landing tell = 30-year UST rallies < 3¾% despite debt, deficits, politics, inflationary Fed.

Tale of the Tape: last time Fed eased 50bps with credit spreads this low was Jan'81, with stocks at all-time highs was Apr'86 (Table 1); historic norm is inflows to money market funds continue after 1st Fed cut for 9 months (Chart 4); but aggressive Fed ease '09 & '20 caused sharp drop in MMFA, and this source of blowoff top risk…note big IG bond & stock inflows this week.

Chart 2: 50bps for the Little Guy

Fed funds target rate since 1915

Chart 2: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, GFD Finaeon, Bloomberg

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

More on page 2…

 

The Flow Show 

Weekly Flows: $38.6bn to stocks, $15.5bn to bonds, $0.5bn to gold, $0.5bn to crypto, $7.6bn from cash.

Flows to Know:

  • Cash: 1st outflow in 7 weeks ($7.6bn);
  • IG bonds: largest inflow in 4 years ($13.9bn);
  • US stocks: 3rd largest inflow in 2024 ($33.8bn);
  • US value: largest inflow since Dec'23 ($4.2bn);
  • Consumer funds: largest inflow in 8 months ($0.9bn);
  • Utility funds: largest outflow since May'24 ($0.2bn).

BofA Private Clients: $3.7tn AUM…62.2% stocks, 20.0% bonds, 10.9% cash; biggest private client outflow from cash in 4 months, biggest inflow to equities in 10 weeks, biggest inflow to T-notes since Oct'22; past 4 weeks GWIM buying bond sensitive MLPs, utilities, and financial sector ETFs, and selling low-vol, industrials, and staples.

BofA Bull & Bear Indicator: falls to 5.2 from 5.4 on global equity fund outflows, big hedging activity against lower SPX & oil; positioning neutral…consensus long credit & stocks with big downside hedges; note hedge funds least bullish on 2-year Treasury contracts since May'23, most bullish on Japan yen since Feb'21.

The 1st Time: 12 occasions since 1970 that Fed cut rates for 1st time…3 types of cuts, & 3 types of Wall St reaction (see our note: The Flow Show: Old School Risk-Off)…

  1. "Soft cuts"…Fed cuts into "soft landing", e.g. 1984, 1995, 2019... positive for stocks (S&P 500 up 10% in 6 months after 1st cut) and bonds (10-year UST yield down 56bps);
  2. "Hard cuts"…Fed cuts into "hard landing", e.g. 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1989, 2001, 2007; negative for stocks (S&P 500 -6% in 3 months) but positive for bonds (10-year UST yield down 38bps in 6 months);
  3. "Panic cuts"…Fed cuts due to Wall St crash/credit event, e.g. 1987 & 1998…v risk-on (S&P 500 up 20% in 6 months post 1st cut) so long as "event" not felt on Main St.

What to Do:

  • Fed 50bps cut sees Wall St follow "soft cuts"/"panic cuts" script…trade classic "Fed pivot" (see asset rally of 1975-76 as Fed slashed from 9% to 4% - Charts 5-6) on expectation Fed can prevent payrolls <100k & rise in delinquencies/defaults;
  • credit & stock markets pricing in 250bps rate cuts and 18% SPX EPS growth between now and end-2025 (Chart 7)…don't get much better than that for risk so investors forced to chase; bubble risks returning but use risk rally to buy dips in bonds & gold as recession & inflation reacceleration "tails" too unfashionable…;
  • if payrolls (125-175k) confirm soft landing, best plays are a. recessionary commodities & resources which also hedge 2025 reacceleration of inflation and b. broadening of equity positions into international stocks…they cheaper (EEM 11x, ACWI 17x, SPX 21x), starting to outperform, and US dollar to weaken (Chart 8); note both commodities & international stocks (via global growth) benefit from thaw in geopolitical tensions (German DAX at all-time high and lowest German industrial production since 2010 ex-COVID…discounting Russia-Ukraine resolution).

Chart 3: US prime rate in real terms was highest this century

US prime rate in real terms (%)

Chart 3: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Chart 4: MMF assets peaked ~9 months after 1st cut in past 5 cycles

Money Market Fund assets ($tn) & the 1st Fed cut

Chart 4: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Chart 5: Commodities top performers during 1973-74 Fed hikes

Cross asset & equity sector annualized total returns (1973-1974)

Chart 5: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg, Ibbotson, GFD Finaeon, Haver, Case-Shiller, Datastream, Fama-French

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Chart 6: 1975-76 asset rally spurred by Fed cutting from 9% to 4%

Cross asset & equity sector annualized total returns (1975-1976)

Chart 6: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg, Ibbotson, GFD Finaeon, Haver, Case-Shiller, Datastream, Fama-French

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Chart 7: Consensus projecting 18% SPX EPS growth by YE-2025

S&P 500 EPS (12m trailing & consensus forecast)

Chart 7: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Chart 8: US$ debasement = international outperformance

US vs Developed Market (ex. US) equities

Chart 8: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, GFD Finaeon, Bloomberg

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Table 1: Last time Fed cut 50bps with credit spreads this low was Jan'81, with stocks at all-time highs was Apr'86

Fed rate cuts ≥ 50bps and level of S&P 500 (% change vs 1-year high) & US BBB credit spreads

For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

  

Fed funds rate %

Change (bps)

S&P 500
(% change vs 1-year high)

Spread between US BBB corporate bond yield & 3-month Tbill yield (%)

Sep'71

5.13

-62

-5%

397

Dec'71

3.50

-50

-3%

463

Sep'73

9.00

-200

-13%

158

Jul'74

9.25

-375

-23%

194

Dec'74

8.25

-75

-33%

355

Jan'75

7.25

-75

-27%

491

Feb'75

6.50

-50

-22%

492

Oct'75

4.88

-162

-13%

485

Dec'79

14.00

-150

-5%

18

Apr'80

11.50

-850

-14%

359

May'80

10.75

-75

-8%

538

Jun'80

9.50

-125

-5%

466

Dec'80

18.00

-200

-4%

107

Jan'81

16.00

-400

-4%

48

Jun'81

15.50

-450

-6%

147

Nov'81

14.00

-150

-12%

583

Nov'81

13.00

-100

-9%

583

Dec'81

12.00

-100

-9%

567

Apr'82

13.00

-200

-17%

435

Jul'82

11.50

-150

-17%

649

Aug'82

11.00

-50

-19%

732

Aug'82

10.50

-50

-21%

732

Aug'82

9.50

-100

-7%

732

Oct'82

9.50

-50

0%

657

Nov'82

9.00

-50

-6%

591

Dec'82

8.50

-50

-5%

620

Oct'84

10.00

-175

-5%

462

Nov'84

9.50

-50

-1%

485

Nov'84

9.00

-50

-3%

485

Dec'84

8.25

-50

-2%

556

Mar'85

8.50

-50

-1%

551

May'85

7.75

-50

0%

551

Mar'86

7.25

-50

-1%

397

Apr'86

6.75

-50

0%

406

Jul'86

6.38

-50

-4%

446

Aug'86

5.88

-50

-2%

485

Oct'89

8.50

-50

-5%

199

Feb'91

6.25

-50

-7%

407

Dec'91

4.00

-50

-3%

522

Jul'92

3.25

-50

-2%

551

Jan'01

6.00

-50

-12%

295

Jan'01

5.50

-50

-11%

295

Mar'01

5.00

-50

-25%

377

Apr'01

4.50

-50

-19%

422

May'01

4.00

-50

-18%

453

Sep'01

3.00

-50

-29%

567

Oct'01

2.50

-50

-27%

567

Nov'01

2.00

-50

-22%

613

Nov'02

1.25

-50

-21%

640

Sep'07

4.75

-50

-2%

287

Jan'08

3.50

-75

-16%

471

Jan'08

3.00

-50

-13%

471

Mar'08

2.25

-75

-15%

554

Oct'08

1.50

-50

-37%

910

Oct'08

1.00

-50

-40%

910

Dec'08

0.25

-75

-39%

796

Mar'20

1.25

-50

-11%

452

Mar'20

0.25

-100

-30%

452

Sep'24

5.00

-50

-1%

78

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg, GFD Finaeon

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Asset Class Flows (Table 2)

Equities: $38.6bn inflow ($44.9bn inflow to ETFs, $6.4bn outflow from mutual funds)

Bonds: inflows past 39 weeks ($15.5bn)

Precious metals: inflows past 6 weeks ($0.5bn)

 

  Table 2:  Cumulative YTD flows by asset class

Global flows by asset class, $mn

For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

   

Wk % AUM

YTD

YTD %AUM

Equities

0.2%

426,196

 2.2%

ETFs

0.4%

702,676

7.2%

LO

-0.1%

-275,734

-2.8%

Bonds

0.2%

466,187

6.3%

Commodities

0.2%

18,107

4.4%

Money-market

-0.1%

592,442

6.8%

*week of 9/18/2024: Source: EPFR Global

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Fixed Income Flows (Chart 10)

IG Bond inflows past 47 weeks ($13.9bn)

HY Bond inflows past 6 weeks ($1.1bn)

EM Debt inflows resume ($0.4bn)

Munis inflows past 12 weeks ($0.9bn)

Govt/Tsy outflows resume ($1.3bn)

TIPS outflows past 6 weeks ($0.4bn)

Bank loan inflows resume ($0.1bn)

 

Equity Flows (Table 3)

US: biggest inflow in 9 weeks ($33.8bn)

Japan: inflows resume ($1.4bn)

Europe: outflows past 4 weeks ($0.8bn)

EM: Inflows past 16 weeks ($1.3bn)

By style: inflows US large cap ($26.2bn), US value ($4.2bn), US small cap ($3.9bn), US growth ($1.9bn).

By sector: inflows consumer ($0.9bn), materials ($0.4bn), healthcare ($0.3bn), tech ($0.1bn); outflows energy ($0.1bn), com svs ($0.1bn), real estate ($0.1bn), utils ($0.2bn), financials ($0.6bn).

 

  Table 3:  DM equity inflows, EM equity outflows YTD

Global equity flows by region, $mn

For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

  

Wk % AUM

YTD

 Total Equities

 0.2%

426,196

  long-only funds

-0.1%

-275,734

ETFs

0.4%

702,676

  Total EM

0.1%

109,999

 Brazil

0.6%

-3,074

India

0.4%

20,707

China

0.1%

92,057

Total DM

0.2%

316,198

 US

0.3%

261,384

Europe

-0.1%

-34,757

Japan

0.2%

15,481

International

0.1%

79,460

Total Equities = Total EM + Total DM

Source: EPFR Global

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

 

  Chart 10:  FICC inflows to IG bond, gold, and HY bond funds

Weekly FICC flows as a % AUM

Chart 10: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: EPFR Global

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

BofA private client flows & allocations

  Chart 11:  Private clients bought MLP, utilities, and financials ETFs

BofA private clients 4-week ETF flows as % of AUM

Chart 11: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global investment Strategy

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Chart 12: GWIM equity allocation at 62%

BofA private client equity holdings as % of AUM

Chart 12: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global investment Strategy

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Chart 13: GWIM debt allocation at 20%

BofA private client debt holdings as % of AUM

Chart 13: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Chart 14: GWIM cash allocation at 11%

BofA private client cash holdings as % of AUM

Chart 14: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

  Chart 15:  GWIM equity ETFs 18%, debt ETFs 14% of AUM

BofA private client ETF holdings as % of AUM

Chart 15: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

  Chart 16:  BofA private clients continue to add to T-notes

BofA private client cumulative inflow to Treasuries since '18

Chart 16: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

The Asset Class Quilt of Total Returns

Chart 17: Historical asset class performance by year

Ranked cross asset returns by year since 2000

Chart 17: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg. *2024 YTD

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

BofA Rules & Tools

Table 4: BofA Global Investment Strategy Proprietary Indicators

Current reading of all BofA Global Investment Strategy Proprietary Indicators

For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

  Proprietary Indicators

Category

Current reading

Current signal

Duration of signal

Contrarian

 

 

 

 

BofA Bull & Bear Indicator (B&B)

Contrarian

5.2

Neutral

1-3 months

Sell when investor sentiment > 8.0; Buy when investor sentiment < 2.0

 

 

 

 

BofA Global FMS Cash Indicator

Contrarian

4.2%

Neutral

4 weeks

Buy when cash at or above 5.0%; Sell when cash at or below 4.0%

 

 

 

 

BofA Global Breadth Rule

Contrarian

37.8%

Neutral

3 months

Buy when net 88% of markets in MSCI ACWI trading below 200-day moving & 50-day moving averages

 

 

 

 

BofA Global Flow Trading Rule

Contrarian

0.7%

Neutral

8 weeks

Buy when outflows from global equities & HY > 1.0% AUM over 4wks; Sell when inflows > 1.0% AUM over 4wks

 

 

 

 

BofA EM Flow Trading Rule

Contrarian

0.7%

Neutral

8 weeks

Buy when outflows from EM equities > 3.0% of AUM; Sell when inflows > 1.5% of AUM over 4 wks

 

 

 

 

Macro

 

 

 

 

BofA Global EPS Growth Model

Macro

5%

EPS growth rising

6-12 months

Model indicates trend in year-on-year change in 12-month forward global EPS growth.

 

 

 

 

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy. For a (see report) guide to our trading models

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

BofA Bull & Bear Indicator (B&B)

Our BofA Bull & Bear Indicator is at 5.2 signal is Neutral.

Chart 18: BofA Bull & Bear Indicator

Drops to 5.2 from 5.4

Chart 18: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Table 5: Table 5: BofA B&B Indicator

BofA Bull & Bear current component readings

Components

Percentile

Sentiment

HF positioning

34%

Neutral

Credit mkt technicals

74%

Bullish

Equity market breadth

56%

Neutral

Equity flows

73%

Bullish

Bond flows

58%

Neutral

LO positioning

31%

Neutral

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg, EPFR Global, Lipper FMI, Global FMS, CFTC, MSCI

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

 

Chart 19: BofA Bull & Bear Indicator at 5.1

BofA Bull & Bear Indicator since 2002

Chart 19: For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, EPFR Global, FMS, CFTC, MSCI

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

Disclaimer: The indicators identified above as the BofA Bull & Bear Indicator, MVP Model, BofA Global Breadth Rule, BofA EM Flow Trading Rule, BofA Global Flow Trading Rule, BofA Global FMS Macro Indicator, BofA Global FMS Cash Rule, Global Wave, Sell-Side Indicator, and Global Financial Stress Indicator are intended to be indicative metrics only and may not be used for reference purposes or as a measure of performance for any financial instrument or contract, or otherwise relied upon by third parties for any other purpose, without the prior written consent of BofA Global Research. These indicators were not created to act as a benchmark.

The analysis of the BofA Bull & Bear Indicator in this report is back-tested and does not represent the actual performance of any account or fund.  Back-tested performance depicts the hypothetical back-tested performance of a particular strategy over the time period indicated.  In future periods, market and economic conditions will differ and the same strategy will not necessarily produce the same results.  No representation is being made that any actual portfolio is likely to have achieved returns similar to those shown herein.  In fact, there are frequently sharp differences between back-tested returns and the actual results realized in the actual management of a portfolio.  Back-tested performance results are created by applying an investment strategy or methodology to historical data and attempts to give an indication as to how a strategy might have performed during a certain period in the past if the product had been in existence during such time. Back-tested results have inherent limitations including the fact that they are calculated with the full benefit of hindsight, which allows the security selection methodology to be adjusted to maximize the returns. Further, the results shown do not reflect actual trading or the impact that material economic and market factors might have had on a portfolio manager's decision-making under actual circumstances.  Back-tested returns do not reflect advisory fees, trading costs, or other fees or expenses.

 

 

2024 Cross-Asset Winners & Losers

Table 6: 2024 YTD ranked returns

Year-to-date ranked cross asset returns

For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

 Ranked Returns, USD-terms (2024)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

Equities

 

Sectors

 

Fixed Income

 

FX vs. USD

 

Commodities

1

Gold

24.3%

1

Taiwan Equities

26.0%

1

ACWI Info Tech

20.5%

1

CCC HY

14.0%

1

Bitcoin

43.6%

1

Silver

26.0%

2

US Equities

18.6%

2

Singapore Equities

25.1%

2

ACWI Telecoms

18.9%

2

EM Sovereign

7.6%

2

South African rand

4.7%

2

Gold

24.3%

3

UK Equities

13.8%

3

India Equities

23.7%

3

ACWI Utilities

16.5%

3

US Corp HY

7.6%

3

British pound

3.8%

3

Copper

9.7%

4

Europe Equities

11.0%

4

Türkiye Equities

23.3%

4

ACWI Financials

16.4%

4

EM Corporate

7.5%

4

Singapore dollar

1.9%

4

Commodities

1.6%

5

Pacific Rim xJapan

9.1%

5

Spain Equities

18.9%

5

ACWI Banks

15.2%

5

European HY

6.8%

5

Euro

0.7%

5

WTI Crude Oil

-1.0%

6

EM Equities

8.8%

6

US Equities

18.6%

6

ACWI Healthcare

13.6%

6

BBB IG

6.3%

6

Indonesian rupiah

0.4%

6

Platinum

-2.0%

7

Japan Equities

8.7%

7

Italy Equities

18.6%

7

ACWI BioTechnology

12.9%

7

US Corp IG

5.9%

7

Chinese renminbi

0.3%

7

Brent Crude Oil

-4.4%

8

High Yield Bonds

8.0%

8

S. Africa Equities

15.0%

8

ACWI Industrials

12.9%

8

TIPS

5.1%

8

Swiss franc

-0.6%

8

Natural Gas

-9.1%

9

EM Sovereign Bonds

7.6%

9

UK Equities

13.8%

9

ACWI Consumer Staples

9.0%

9

US Mortgage Master

5.0%

9

Indian rupee

-0.7%

 

 

 

10

Industrial Metals

7.2%

10

Germany Equities

13.3%

10

ACWI Real Estate

8.5%

10

UK Govt

4.5%

10

Australian dollar

-0.7%

 

 

 

11

Investment Grade Bonds

5.2%

11

Greece Equities

12.0%

11

ACWI Cons. Discretionary

6.4%

11

Treasury Master

4.4%

11

Japanese yen

-0.9%

 

 

 

12

Government Bonds

2.3%

12

Canada Equities

11.9%

12

ACWI Energy

2.7%

12

2-year Treasury

3.9%

12

Swedish krona

-1.3%

 

 

 

13

US Dollar

-0.7%

13

Australia Equities

10.1%

13

ACWI Materials

-0.3%

13

3-Month Treasury Bills

3.9%

13

NZ dollar

-1.7%

 

 

 

14

Oil

-1.0%

14

Switzerland Equities

9.2%

 

 

 

14

30-year Treasury

3.2%

14

Canadian dollar

-2.7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

Japan Equities

8.7%

 

 

 

15

German Govt

1.3%

15

Korean won

-3.4%

 

 

 

 

 

 

16

China Equities

3.1%

 

 

 

16

Non-US IG Government

0.7%

16

Taiwanese dollar

-3.9%

 

 

 

 

 

 

17

France Equities

2.9%

 

 

 

17

Japan Govt

-2.3%

17

Norwegian krone

-3.9%

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

Portugal Equities

-4.4%

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

Brazilian real

-11.1%

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

Hong Kong Equities

-4.7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

Mexican peso

-12.0%

 

 

 

 

 

 

20

Korea Equities

-7.1%

 

 

 

 

 

 

20

Turkish lira

-13.3%

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

Brazil Equities

-11.0%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22

Mexico Equities

-16.4%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg, as of 18 September 2024.

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

Table 7: The Overbought & Oversold

Ranked deviation from 200-day moving averages in US dollar terms

For an accessible version Merrill clients call 800-637-7455; Merrill Edge Self-Directed clients call 877-653-4732

Ranked Deviation from 200-Day Moving Average, USD-terms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

Equities

 

Sectors

 

Fixed Income

 

FX vs. USD

 

Commodities

1

Gold

12.8%

1

Singapore Equities

19.1%

1

ACWI Utilities

12.5%

1

CCC HY

10.4%

1

Japanese yen

6.1%

1

Gold

13.5%

2

Pacific Rim xJapan

9.5%

2

S. Africa Equities

15.4%

2

ACWI BioTechnology

9.1%

2

30-year Treasury

7.2%

2

South African rand

5.5%

2

Silver

12.7%

3

UK Equities

8.4%

3

India Equities

12.3%

3

ACWI Financials

9.1%

3

EM Sovereign

6.7%

3

Swiss franc

4.2%

3

Natural Gas

2.6%

4

US Equities

8.2%

4

Spain Equities

12.2%

4

ACWI Banks

7.9%

4

BBB IG

5.6%

4

British pound

3.7%

4

Copper

2.3%

5

EM Sov Bonds

6.7%

5

Taiwan Equities

10.2%

5

ACWI Healthcare

7.3%

5

US Corp HY

5.5%

5

Indonesian rupiah

3.4%

5

Platinum

2.1%

6

Europe Equities

5.8%

6

Australia Equities

9.5%

6

ACWI Industrials

6.7%

6

Non-US IG Government

5.5%

6

Singapore dollar

3.4%

6

WTI Crude Oil

-8.7%

7

High Yield Bonds

5.7%

7

Canada Equities

8.8%

7

ACWI Info Tech

6.6%

7

EM Corporate

5.4%

7

Swedish krona

2.8%

7

Brent Crude Oil

-10.1%

8

Investment Grade Bonds

5.3%

8

UK Equities

8.4%

8

ACWI Consumer Staples

6.5%

8

US Corp IG

5.4%

8

Euro

2.3%

8

Iron Ore

-22.1%

9

EM Equities

5.2%

9

US Equities

8.2%

9

ACWI Telecoms

6.4%

9

US Mortgage Master

5.4%

9

Australian dollar

2.2%

 

 

 

10

Government Bonds

5.1%

10

Germany Equities

7.9%

10

ACWI Cons. Discretionary

3.8%

10

Treasury Master

4.7%

10

NZ dollar

1.8%

 

 

 

11

Industrial Metals

2.9%

11

Italy Equities

7.6%

11

ACWI Materials

1.4%

11

TIPS

4.4%

11

Chinese renminbi

1.7%

 

 

 

12

Japan Equities

2.2%

12

Switzerland Equities

7.5%

12

ACWI Real Estate

0.0%

12

European HY

3.6%

12

Korean won

1.2%

 

 

 

13

US Dollar

-3.1%

13

Portugal Equities

4.6%

13

ACWI Energy

-1.8%

13

UK Govt

3.2%

13

Norwegian krone

0.5%

 

 

 

14

Oil

-8.7%

14

Greece Equities

3.3%

 

 

 

14

2-year Treasury

3.0%

14

Taiwanese dollar

0.1%

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

Hong Kong Equities

2.7%

 

 

 

15

German Govt

2.1%

15

Russian ruble

0.0%

 

 

 

 

 

 

16

Japan Equities

2.2%

 

 

 

16

3-Month Treasury Bills

2.1%

16

Canadian dollar

-0.1%

 

 

 

 

 

 

17

China Equities

1.7%

 

 

 

17

Japan Govt

0.0%

17

Indian rupee

-0.4%

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

France Equities

0.7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

Brazilian real

-4.6%

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

Russia Equities

0.0%

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

Turkish lira

-5.9%

 

 

 

 

 

 

20

Türkiye Equities

-0.2%

 

 

 

 

 

 

20

Argentine peso

-8.7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

Brazil Equities

-1.1%

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

Mexican peso

-8.7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

22

Korea Equities

-4.1%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23

Mexico Equities

-9.9%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: BofA Global Investment Strategy, Bloomberg, as of 18 September 2024.

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH

 

Acronyms

FMS - Fund Manager Survey

ECI: Employment cost index

GWIM - Global Wealth and Investment Management

MMF - Money Market Fund

YCC - Yield Curve Control

QE - Quantitative Easing

QT - Quantitative Tightening

S&L - Savings & Loan

FCI - Financial conditions index

AUM - Assets Under Management

U-rate - unemployment rate

 

 

 Important Disclosures

 

FUNDAMENTAL EQUITY OPINION KEY: Opinions include a Volatility Risk Rating, an Investment Rating and an Income Rating. VOLATILITY RISK RATINGS, indicators of potential price fluctuation, are: A - Low, B - Medium and C - High. INVESTMENT RATINGS reflect the analyst's assessment of both a stock's absolute total return potential as well as its attractiveness for investment relative to other stocks within its Coverage Cluster (defined below). Our investment ratings are: 1 - Buy stocks are expected to have a total return of at least 10% and are the most attractive stocks in the coverage cluster; 2 - Neutral stocks are expected to remain flat or increase in value and are less attractive than Buy rated stocks and 3 - Underperform stocks are the least attractive stocks in a coverage cluster. An investment rating of 6 (No Rating) indicates that a stock is no longer trading on the basis of fundamentals. Analysts assign investment ratings considering, among other things, the 0-12 month total return expectation for a stock and the firm's guidelines for ratings dispersions (shown in the table below). The current price objective for a stock should be referenced to better understand the total return expectation at any given time. The price objective reflects the analyst's view of the potential price appreciation (depreciation).

Investment rating

Total return expectation (within 12-month period of date of initial rating)

Ratings dispersion guidelines for coverage clusterR1

Buy

≥ 10%

≤ 70%

Neutral

≥ 0%

≤ 30%

Underperform

N/A

≥ 20%

 R1Ratings dispersions may vary from time to time where BofA Global Research believes it better reflects the investment prospects of stocks in a Coverage Cluster.

INCOME RATINGS, indicators of potential cash dividends, are: 7 - same/higher (dividend considered to be secure), 8 - same/lower (dividend not considered to be secure) and 9 - pays no cash dividend. Coverage Cluster is comprised of stocks covered by a single analyst or two or more analysts sharing a common industry, sector, region or other classification(s). A stock's coverage cluster is included in the most recent BofA Global Research report referencing the stock. 

 

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Neither BofA Securities nor any officer or employee of BofA Securities accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct, indirect or consequential damages or losses arising from any use of this information.

 

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