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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Check out the companies making headlines before the opening bell on Wall Street. U.S. Steel — U.S. Steel shares jumped 5%s after President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Friday approving its merger with Japan’s Nippon Steel. The companies also signed a national security agreement that includes a golden share for the U.S government. Although U.S. Steel did not specify what powers the government would wield with its share, Trump said on Thursday that the golden share gives the U.S. president ” total control .” Roku — The streaming platform jumped 8.5% after announcing an exclusive partnership with Amazon that gives advertisers access to what the two called “the largest authenticated footprint in connected TV .” The agreement enables advertisers to reach roughly 80 million U.S. households through the Amazon platform. Advanced Micro Devices — The chipmaker added more than 2% after a price target increase from Piper Sandler. After AMD’s quarterly pre-quarter close call on Friday, Piper said it expects AMD’s AI business to surge after the third quarter when China-related charges have passed, and noted increased conviction among investors about a key hyperscaler client. EchoStar — The satellite company jumped more than 40% after Bloomberg News reported late Friday that President Donald Trump had pushed the head of the Federal Communications Commission to resolve a spectrum dispute. The company has threatened to file for bankrupty protection and claims FCC threats blocked its ability to decide on a 5G network buildout. Celsius — Shares of the energy drink company rallied about 4% after TD Cowen upgraded the stock to buy from hold , saying its “growth story is heating back up” and shares should trade higher this year. The investment bank said it confident in the Celsius brand, smooth integration of the company’s Alani Nu acquisition and wider distribution next year. Victoria’s Secret — Shares added 3% following a report that activist investor Barrington Capital Group has built a stake in the retailer. Barrington intends to push Victoria’s Secret to overhaul its board and refocus its business, the Wall Street Journal said, citing unnamed sources. Sage Therapeutics — Sage soared 35% after agreeing to be acquired by Supernus Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth $12 a share, or $795 million. The deal would accelerate diversify Supernus’ revenue base and add FDA-approved postpartum depression drug treatment Zurzuvae, according to a statement. Sage shareholders would receive $8.50 a share in cash and a non-tradable contingent value right payable upon certain specific milestones worth up to $3.50 per share. Sarepta Therapeutics — The biopharmaceutical company plunged more than 37% after Sarepta reported the death of a second patient receiving its Elevidys gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Sarepta halted shipments of Elevidys and is taking steps to improve safety for non-ambulatory patients. — CNBC’s Jesse Pound and Michelle Fox contributed reporting.
The long-running rivalry between the country’s top premium credit cards is about to heat up again.
JPMorgan Chase announced last week that a refresh of its Sapphire Reserve — the travel and dining rewards card that went viral when it arrived in 2016 — was imminent.
In response, American Express on Monday said that “major” changes were coming to its consumer and business Platinum cards later this year. While short on details, the New York-based card company said that its update would be its largest ever investment in a card refresh.
“We are going to double down on the things we know based on the data that our card members love,” said Amex President of U.S. Consumer Services Howard Grosfield in an interview. “But more importantly, we’ll bring a whole bunch of new and exciting benefits and value that will far, far, far exceed the annual fee.”
The new Platinum card will launch in the fall with enhanced benefits around lounges, dining and events, Grosfield said.
American Express pioneered the premium credit card space decades ago with cards that bundled perks at airlines and hotels with access to its own network of high-end airport lounges. But JPMorgan shook up the industry in 2016, igniting stiff competition among card issuers with a lavish sign-on bonus and other incentives for its Sapphire card.
The expectation among industry experts is that both companies will offer ever-longer lists of perks in travel, dining and experiences like concerts, while potentially raising their annual fees, as has been the pattern with recent updates.
The Platinum card has a $695 annual fee, while the Sapphire has a $550 fee.
On Reddit and other forums, card users circulated rumors that JPMorgan was hiking the annual fee on its Sapphire product to $795. A JPMorgan spokesperson declined to comment.