A surprisingly good start for the U.S. stock market in 2023 is likely to fade this week as the Federal Reserve is set to announce its eighth consecutive rate hike at the conclusion of its policy meeting, according to Morgan Stanley’s Michael Wilson.
“We think the recent price action is more a reflection of the seasonal January effect and short covering after a tough end to December and a brutal year,” wrote a team of strategists led by Wilson, Morgan Stanley’s chief equity strategist. “The reality is that earnings are proving to be even worse than feared based on the data, especially as it relates to margins.”
January started on a high note for stock-market investors, with three major equity indexes on pace to book strong monthly gains. As of Friday, the S&P 500
SPX,
-1.30%
was up 4.6% in the first four weeks of January, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
-0.77%
advanced 1.7%. Tech stocks were having their best January in decades, with the Nasdaq Composite
COMP,
-1.96%
up 8.9% on the month as of Monday, on track for its best January performance since it notched a 12.2% gain in 2001, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
However, Wilson and his team were surprised by the magnitude of the recent advance. It is “just another bear-market trap” and “all the good news is now priced,” which means “the reality is likely to return with month-end, and the Fed’s resolve to tame inflation,” they wrote in a Monday note.
See: What stock-market investors need to know about the ‘January Indicator Trifecta’
The “January Effect” is a seasonal tendency for small-cap stocks to rally in the month following December’s tax-loss harvesting in generally illiquid equities. Theoretically, investors could use those funds to rebuy new positions in January, which can contribute to the monthly rally.
Other possible explanations include “window dressing,” a practice performed by institutional investors to buy more shares of top-performing stocks by the end of the year to improve the appearance of their fund’s performance before presenting it to shareholders.
Another is investor sentiment, with investors tending to be more optimistic about the future as a new year begins.
Morgan Stanley’s strategists warned at the start of the year that a recession shock in 2023 could drive another 22% drop for stocks, and they expected the large-cap index to finish the year at 3,900. The S&P 500 ended 52 points lower, or 1.3%, to 4,018 on Monday.
See: It’s a key week for the stock market. If you’re not nervous, you should be, this global strategist warns.
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