Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Pulse Survey Reveals Cautious Optimism Despite Short Term Volatility

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management today announced results from its quarterly retail investor pulse survey:

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(Graphic: Morgan Stanley Wealth Management)

• Bullishness pulled back. After a strong September, about 3 in 5 (59%) of investors remain bullish, down 2 percentage points from last quarter with the US election and geopolitical tensions looming.
• Inflation concerns eased. Inflation unease has decreased significantly from Q3—down 8 percentage points, while the 2024 election (34%) and market volatility (23%) maintained their positions as the second and third most concerning issues, respectively.
• Optimism for a “soft landing” increased. After the recent rate cuts, 64% of investors believe the Fed will be able to steer the economy into a “soft landing,” up 10 percentage points from last quarter.
• And investors feel good about the economy. Over 2 out of 3 (68%) feel the economy is healthy enough for additional cuts, up from 48% last quarter.

“It certainly feels like we’re at a bit of an inflection point with the Fed in rate cutting mode and investors remaining bullish,” said Chris Larkin, Managing Director, Head of Trading and Investing, E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley. “With year-end in close range, investors are starting to take stock of where the market stands but questioning what’s ahead. Despite some trepidation from the election and geopolitical uncertainty, the momentum from September has investors confident.”

The survey explored investor views on sector opportunities for the fourth quarter of 2024:

• IT – Amid tight supply-demand conditions and AI chip shortages, interest in IT dropped 3 percentage points to 54% but remained the top sector as it has all year.
• Energy – Despite weakness in the sector amid a dip in crude oil, investors remain bullish (43%) on energy.
• Health care – As the 2024 election looms, the defensive health care sector trended upward this quarter with 36% feeling opportunistic.

About the Survey

This wave of the survey was conducted from October 1 to October 14 of 2024 among an online US sample of 990 self-directed investors, investors who fully delegate investment account management to financial professionals, and investors who utilize both. The survey has a margin of error of ±3.20 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. It was fielded and administered by Dynata. The panel is broken into three investable assets: less than $500k, between $500k to $1 million, and over $1 million. The panel is 60% male and 40% female and self-select as having moderate+ investing experience, with an even distribution across geographic regions, and age bands.

About Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a global leader, provides access to a wide range of products and services to individuals, businesses and institutions, including brokerage and investment advisory services, financial and wealth planning, cash management and lending products and services, annuities and insurance, retirement and trust services.

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 42 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

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Past performance is not a guarantee or indicative of future performance. Historical data shown represents past performance and does not guarantee comparable future results.

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