Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson sees a meaningful rotation back into U.S. stocks, and he sees one beaten-up group as a winner.
“It started out with a low-quality rally, which is what we expect – meaning a short squeeze,” the firm’s chief investment officer told CNBC’s “Fast Money” on Monday. “Then, what we noticed is the revision factors on the Mag Seven are actually starting to stabilize a bit. So, the last couple of days though stocks have acted better, and that can take the index higher. How high? 5,900. So, we’re almost there.”
The major indexes had a notable start to the week. The S&P 500 gained roughly 1.8% and closed at 5,767.57 — about 6% below its all-time high. Meanwhile, the Dow jumped almost 600 points while the Nasdaq Composite surged more than 2%.
But Wilson, who’s also the firm’s chief U.S. equity strategist, suggests a narrow window for gains. He focused his Monday research note on the idea.
“Stronger seasonals, lower rates and oversold momentum indicators support our call for a tradeable rally from ~5500,” he wrote. “A weaker dollar and stabilizing Mag 7 EPS [earnings per share] revisions can drive capital back to the US. Beyond the tactical rally, volatility will likely persist this year.”
And, he won’t rule out new lows for the year.
“Whatever rally we’re getting now, we think probably end up fading into earnings, into May and June,” he added. “Then, we’ll probably make a more durable low later in the year.”
According to Wilson, the market weakness is mostly tied to fundamentals and technicals.
‘Nothing to do with tariffs’
“The reason the markets are lower over the course of the last three or four months has nothing to do with tariffs,” said Wilson. “It’s mostly to do with the fact that earnings revisions have rolled over. The Fed stopped cutting rates. You had stricter enforcement on immigration. You have [Department of Government Efficiency]. All of those things are growth negative.”
Wilson’s S&P 500 year-end target is 6,500, which implies a nearly 13% gain from Monday’s close.
“Could we make a new high in the second half of the year as people look forward to 2026? Yeah,” Wilson said.
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Charlie Javice, who is charged with defrauding JPMorgan Chase & Co into buying her now-shuttered college financial aid startup Frank for $175 million in 2021, arrives at United States Court in Manhattan in New York City, June 6, 2023.
Mike Segar | Reuters
Charlie Javice, founder of a startup purchased by JPMorgan Chase in 2021, was convicted in federal court Friday of defrauding the bank by vastly overstating the company’s customer list.
The jury decision comes after weeks of testimony in New York over who was to blame for the flameout of a once-promising startup. JPMorgan accused Javice, 32, of duping the bank into paying $175 million for a company that had more than 4 million customers, when in reality it had fewer than 300,000.
A spokesperson for JPMorgan declined to comment.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
Joel Greenblatt, a longtime bargain hunter, doesn’t think value investing deserves its bad rap. The 67-year-old investor, now running Gotham Asset Management, believes that traditional criteria that define “value,” such as price-to-book and price-to-sales ratios, don’t necessarily represent the essence of the philosophy. “We’re very cash flow oriented … the way Morningstar or Russell classified value is not the way we look at value,” Greenblatt said Wednesday at Value Invest conference in New York. “We’re literally valuing businesses, like we’re private equity investors buying the whole business.” By the most commonly used measure, value stocks have been crushed by their growth counterparts over the past two decades. The Russell 1000 Value Index, including stocks with low price-to-book ratios and low sales-per-share growth, is up 189% over the past 20 years, compared to a near 700% rise in its growth stock counterpart. In the recovery after the financial crisis in 2008, growth stocks took over market leadership and enjoyed uninterrupted expansion in the decade-long bull run that followed. The great transition into passive investing using index funds and ETFs only further fueled growth names’ meteoric rise. Many traditional value investors found themselves in a desperate spot as cheap shares suffered massive underperformance. Still, Greenblatt, who taught a value investing class at Columbia University for more than 20 years, said seasoned players with an eye for hidden gems are still able to perform better than the broader market. “We all are familiar with the history that beating the market … is difficult for active managers and I would argue for a second that it’s not difficult,” he said. “I do think markets are emotional, and if you are [a] very disciplined value investor, which means … trying to figure out what a business is worth and paying a reasonable or low price for it because the market sometimes gives you that gift, to buy the little bit cheaper than it’s worth, disciplined investors can still do that.” Gotham Asset, which runs hedge funds as well as long-only mutual funds, has produced positive spreads for the past three years, Greenblatt said. The investor, who holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, says it’s “abnormal” for the largest stocks to significantly outperform the rest of the market as they did for the past 10 to 15 years, hinting that the pendulum could be swinging in a different direction sooner rather than later. “If you think you’re good at valuing businesses and can do a good job about being a disciplined portfolio manager,” he said. “We feel we can add value.”
Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Rocket Lab — Stock in the aerospace manufacturer gained 3% after the U.S. Space Force listed the company as one of the firms entered in its pool of launch providers. Braze — Stock in the cloud software company added 6% after beating analyst estimates in the fourth quarter on the top and bottom line. Braze reported adjusted earnings of 12 cents per share, while analysts surveyed by FactSet were looking for 5 cents. Revenue of $160.4 million also beat the $155.7 million forecast from analysts. Lululemon — Shares of the athleticwear company plunged more than 14% after the firm issued 2025 guidance that disappointed analysts . The company said consumers are spending less due to economic and inflation concerns, resulting in lower U.S. traffic at Lululemon and industry peers. W.R. Berkley — The insurance stock jumped 8% after W.R. Berkley said that Japan’s Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance has agreed to purchase 15% of the company’s common shares. The purchases are part of an agreement between MSI and the Berkley family and could lead to a new board member for W.R. Berkley, according to the press release. Oxford Industries — Shares of the clothing retailer were off more than 3% after its full-year guidance missed analyst estimates. Oxford Industries forecast revenue in the range of $1.49 to $1.53 billion for the fiscal-year, while analysts polled by FactSet were looking for $1.54 billion. Executives said rising consumer uncertainty is a major overhang to the company’s outlook. Bausch + Lomb — Shares of the eye health company shed 5%. Bausch + Lomb said on Thursday it was voluntarily recalling certain implantable eye lenses after complications were reported. The recall and subsequent uncertainty around the products prompted Wells Fargo to downgrade shares to equal weight from overweight. AppLovin — Stock in the mobile technology company added 7% Friday, following a sharp sell-off on Thursday that saw shares fall more than 20%. Short seller Muddy Waters on Thursday alleged AppLovin’s ad tactics violated app stores’ terms of service. Argan — Shares surged nearly 24% after the energy plant design and construction holding company beat fourth-quarter estimates on the top and bottom line. Argan earned $2.22 per share on revenue of $232.5 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet forecast earnings of $1.15 per share and $197.5 million in revenue in the fourth quarter. Infinity Natural Resources — Stock in the exploration and production company pulled back almost 3% after its fourth-quarter net income missed analyst estimates. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were looking for a profit of $23.3 million, but it reported a loss of $5.5 million in the fourth quarter. — CNBC’s Yun Li, Michelle Fox and Jesse Pound contributed reporting Get Your Ticket to Pro LIVE Join us at the New York Stock Exchange! Uncertain markets? Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE , an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange. In today’s dynamic financial landscape, access to expert insights is paramount. As a CNBC Pro subscriber, we invite you to join us for our first exclusive, in-person CNBC Pro LIVE event at the iconic NYSE on Thursday, June 12. Join interactive Pro clinics led by our Pros Carter Worth, Dan Niles and Dan Ives, with a special edition of Pro Talks with Tom Lee. You’ll also get the opportunity to network with CNBC experts, talent and other Pro subscribers during an exciting cocktail hour on the legendary trading floor. Tickets are limited!