As investors remain cautious, U.S. investors reduced holdings in equity funds and shifted to money market funds, causing their biggest weekly net buying since November 29. This move comes amid a stock market rally that has eased and an uncertainty surrounding rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
The release of US unemployment data on Thursday revealed that the US labor market was still resilient, which tempered hopes for deep rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year. This has further influenced expectations about the timing and pace of rate cuts.
After gaining for nine successive weeks, the S&P 500 dipped about 1.7% in the first week of 2024, raising concerns that expectations for steep rate cuts might be overstated.
The shift in investor focus led to the exit of about $5.54 billion of equity funds, while over $56.92 billion has been invested in money market funds. Investors are, however, showing interest in small caps, which attracted $1.32 billion in a fifth straight week of net buying.
Meanwhile, the outflow of $879 million from the tech sector led to the tech sector holding the crown for the highest net selling. The industrial sector followed with $361 million in outflows, while the real estate sector held third with $214 million in outflows.
On the other hand, US bond funds experienced $4.44 billion worth of purchases, the first weekly inflow in six weeks. Moreover, US short/intermediate government and treasury funds received $3.25 billion as investors snapped out of an eight-week-long selling streak.
Short/intermediate investment grade and general domestic taxable fixed-income funds also received about $1.75 billion and $614 million, respectively.
Caution has been the watchword in the investment world in recent weeks amid concerns about the longevity of the stock market rally. While optimism about steep rate cuts may be slowing, investors continue seeking funds that provide them financial stability in this uncertain climate.
