高盛流动性专家：美股系统性需求已枯竭，预计9月将“充满挑战”

Core Viewpoint - Goldman Sachs warns that the U.S. stock market is facing significant challenges as it enters September, historically the worst-performing month, with systemic demand nearly exhausted, indicating potential for substantial sell-offs [1][2]. Group 1: Seasonal Trends and Market Dynamics - September is recognized as the worst month for the S&P 500, with an average return of -1.17% since 1928, and the latter half of the month is particularly weak, averaging -1.38% [2]. - The Commodity Trading Advisors (CTA) have reached a 100% full position, indicating a lack of buying power, with expected purchases in September dropping to only $2.96 billion from $12.56 billion in August [2][5]. - If the market enters a downturn, CTAs could be forced to liquidate positions, potentially leading to a sell-off of up to $73.69 billion in U.S. stocks [5]. Group 2: Institutional Investor Sentiment - Institutional investors have been net sellers of U.S. stocks for two consecutive months, reflecting a cautious stance as September approaches [3]. - Despite recent market rebounds, Goldman Sachs' sentiment indicators remain negative, suggesting that overall positioning is still relatively balanced with room for increased allocations [3][4]. - The current moderate positioning is expected to result in any market declines being relatively mild unless significant fundamental shocks occur [4]. Group 3: Market Structure and Stability - The internal market structure is providing stabilizing forces, with dealers in a record long gamma state, which helps absorb market volatility by buying during downturns and selling during upswings [9]. - Market correlation is at a near 30-year low, indicating a shift towards a stock-picking environment rather than a broad market movement, aligning with the trend of institutional active stock selection and retail investment in passive funds [9]. - The implied volatility of the S&P 500 is at a low level, making options pricing very attractive for hedging against potential market movements [9]. Group 4: Capital Flows and Investment Trends - Hedge funds have significantly rotated into emerging markets, particularly focusing on Chinese assets, with net inflows into these markets exceeding historical averages [7]. - Retail investors remain active in individual stock trading but continue to favor passive funds, leading to a growing divide between active and passive investment strategies [8]. - Since 2019, inflows into U.S. money market funds have reached $4.09 trillion, significantly outpacing the $247 billion into U.S. stock funds, highlighting a preference for liquidity despite rising stock indices [8].