Goldman rolls back bearish forecast for US stocks

Goldman rolls back bearish forecast for US stocks
Strategists abandon their call for the S&P to head back down to 2,400 and now say downside risks are capped at 2,750
JUN 01, 2020
By  Bloomberg

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has effectively bowed to pressure from the continuing rally in U.S. stocks and abandoned its call for another steep sell-off.

Strategists led by David Kostin have rolled back their prediction that the S&P 500 would slump to the 2,400 level -- over 20% below Friday’s 3,044 close -- and now see downside risks capped at 2,750. The U.S. equity benchmark could even rally further to 3,200, they wrote in a note Friday.

“The powerful rebound means our previous three-month target of 2,400 is unlikely to be realized,” the strategists wrote. “Monetary and fiscal policy support limit likely downside to roughly 10%. Investor positioning has oscillated between neutral and low and is a possible 5% upside catalyst.”

Goldman has raised its downside target for U.S. stocks post-rally

The shift came just after JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s strategists shifted in the other direction -- reining in their bullish outlook. JPMorgan’s Marko Kolanovic warned about rising U.S.-China tensions in a note Thursday.

Goldman’s strategists maintained their year-end target of 3,000 for the benchmark U.S. stock gauge.

Goldman continues to argue that short-term returns are skewed to the downside -- “or neutral at best” -- thanks to the risk of an economic, earnings, trade or political “hiccup” to the normalization trend. A broader participation in the rally would be needed for the S&P 500 to move meaningfully higher.

The S&P 500 has climbed 36% from its March 23 low, helped by massive fiscal and monetary support, mega-cap outperformance and optimism about the economy restarting, according to Goldman. Last month it argued that fear of missing out was a key driver of the rebound in stocks.

Latest News

The power of cultivating personal connections
The power of cultivating personal connections

Relationships are key to our business but advisors are often slow to engage in specific activities designed to foster them.

A variety of succession options
A variety of succession options

Whichever path you go down, act now while you're still in control.

'I’ll never recommend bitcoin,' advisor insists
'I’ll never recommend bitcoin,' advisor insists

Pro-bitcoin professionals, however, say the cryptocurrency has ushered in change.

LPL raises target for advisors’ bonuses for first time in a decade
LPL raises target for advisors’ bonuses for first time in a decade

“LPL has evolved significantly over the last decade and still wants to scale up,” says one industry executive.

What do older Americans have to say about long-term care?
What do older Americans have to say about long-term care?

Survey findings from the Nationwide Retirement Institute offers pearls of planning wisdom from 60- to 65-year-olds, as well as insights into concerns.

SPONSORED The future of prospecting: Say goodbye to cold calls and hello to smart connections

Streamline your outreach with Aidentified's AI-driven solutions

SPONSORED A bumpy start to autumn but more positives ahead

This season’s market volatility: Positioning for rate relief, income growth and the AI rebound