Investors kick off 2024 with $123b record cash shift: BofA

It was the second week in a row for inflows to equities, and eight out of the past ten weeks have seen inflows, totalling $82 billion

Investors ploughed $123.1 billion into cash in the seven days to Wednesday, marking the largest such inflow since March 2023 and a record for the first week of a year, Bank of America said in a report published on Friday.

The shift, which BofA said was typical for the first week of the year, follows 2023’s record yearly inflow to cash of $1.3 trillion, as risk-averse investors fled to safe-haven assets and higher interest rates reduced investor demand for stocks.

Citing data from fund flows and asset allocation data provider EPFR, BofA said investors bought $10.6 billion of bonds and $7.6 billion of stocks, but they shed $0.8 billion of gold.

It was the second week in a row for inflows to equities, and eight out of the past ten weeks have seen inflows, totalling $82 billion, BofA added.

Global equities are set to snap a nine-week winning streak as bets on aggressive central bank rate cuts were rolled back.

The benchmark S&P 500 is up about 14% since the end of October, but declined 1.1% over Wednesday and Thursday, as investors grew nervous about expectations of near imminent interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.

“Fed and yields dictating credit and stocks,” BofA said.

Energy stocks saw their seventh straight week of outflows, and the largest since July 2023 of $1.0 billion. US small-cap stocks recorded a weekly inflow of $2.3 billion, their fifth weekly inflow in a row.

BofA’s bull & bear indicator, a measure of market sentiment, rose to 5.3 from 5.0 to the highest level since November 2021 though remained at a neutral signal, with BofA citing equity breadth, credit technicals and strong high yield inflows.

 

Source: The Business Standard 

Facebook
LinkedIn
Shopping Basket

Capital Market Risk Assessment Survey

Iram Hoque

Mohd. Iramul Hoque (Iram) completed his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering in 2018 from Purdue University.

He joined Deloitte Consulting LLP as a Consulting Analyst based out of New York City having previously worked in similar roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP & Landis+Gyr.

Iram left consulting and returned to Bangladesh to take up the family business. Realizing the opportunity in the capital market in Bangladesh, Iram worked relentlessly to found Columbia Shares & Securities Ltd in 2021.

Md Saiful Hoque

Md. Saiful Hoque received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Columbia University in 1986 followed by a master’s degree from Texas A&M University in 1988. Upon completion of his Graduate Degree, he joined Gulf Interstate Engineering Company in Houston, USA serving as a Project Engineer.

He returned to Bangladesh in 1992 to join Columbia Enterprise Ltd., the family business of Shipping and Freight Forwarding services. In addition, he has built flourishing businesses manufacturing Garment’s Accessories and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods.