Leading Wall Street institutions are betting on UK stocks to surpass their European counterparts, particularly as markets brace for the impact of US President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariffs. Investment powerhouses including Goldman Sachs, Société Générale, BlackRock, and JPMorgan Asset Management have positioned themselves bullishly towards British equities, citing several compelling factors.
The FTSE 100 index has demonstrated resilience with a 0.4 per cent gain since late September, whilst the Euro Stoxx 50 index of large Eurozone companies has suffered a 4 per cent decline during the same period. This divergence highlights the UK market’s robust performance amidst global uncertainties.
Goldman Sachs equity strategist Sharon Bell emphasises that whilst the UK will face challenges from potential trade wars, its exposure remains comparatively limited. The British market’s relative scarcity of manufacturing firms positions it favourably against Germany’s export-dependent economy, which could face more significant impacts from Trump’s proposed tariffs.
The substantial presence of banks and energy companies in the FTSE 100 could prove advantageous, according to Hugh Gimber at JPMorgan Asset Management. These sectors stand to benefit from Trump’s deregulation agenda and pro-oil policies. The prospect of increased share buybacks and merger activity adds further appeal to British stocks.
BlackRock, managing £11.5tn in assets, has maintained its positive stance on UK stocks since Labour’s recent electoral victory, with Helen Jewell, their chief investment officer for equities in EMEA, pointing to the UK’s financial services emphasis as a protective factor against trade disputes.
Despite trading at a 50 per cent discount compared to US markets, the FTSE 100’s performance since the 2016 Brexit referendum has been modest, gaining 31 per cent against the S&P 500’s impressive 183 per cent surge. Pictet, a major European asset manager, offers a more cautious perspective, suggesting UK shares might be caught in a value trap, describing the FTSE 100 as merely “the best market among the worst” in Europe.
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