Investing.com -- Cash levels among global fund managers have dropped to 3.5% in February, their lowest point since 2010, Bank of America’s (BofA) February Global Fund Manager Survey (FMS) showed.
BofA’s overall measure of sentiment, which reflects cash levels, equity positions, and growth expectations, increased from 6.1 to 6.4 this month, though it remains below the elevated levels seen in December 2024.
According to the bank’s strategists, investors are “bullish, long stocks, [and] short everything else.”
They highlight that the “US exceptionalism” appears to have peaked, with 89% of participants describing US stocks as overvalued. The "long Magnificent 7" trade remains the most crowded.
For 2025, investors ranked EuroStoxx (22%), Nasdaq (18%), and Hang Seng (18%) as the top-performing equity indices. Across broader asset classes, global equities were favored by 34% of respondents, followed by gold at 22% and US equities at 18%.
In terms of allocation, the survey shows investors being overweight equities at 35%, while holding underweight positions in bonds (11%) and cash.
Exposure to US equities was trimmed, while euro-area positions reached an eight-month high. Conversely, US equities were at an 11-month low, and interest in emerging markets (EMs) remained subdued despite optimism surrounding China's growth prospects.
Sector-wise, bond-sensitive industries like utilities, pharmaceuticals, and real estate investment trusts (REITs) saw increased interest, while reducing allocation to tech, banks, and materials. Tech saw the largest month-on-month decline in long positions since September 2022.
From a macro perspective, the report indicated that 82% of respondents no longer expect a recession, with recession fears now sitting at a 3-year low.
Meanwhile, 77% anticipate rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve this year, and expectations of a “soft landing” increased for the first time in five months, from 50% to 52%.
Concerns about a potential trade war resurfaced, the survey shows, with 39% of fund managers identifying it as the top tail risk for markets.