Global Equities Surge Amid Record ETF Inflows & Strong Bond Demand

Market Overview - August was a surprisingly steady month for markets despite inflation concerns and trade tensions, with investors focusing on solid corporate earnings and potential Fed rate cuts [1] ETF Inflows - ETFs attracted a record-breaking $118 billion in net new assets in August, more than three times the historical average of $36 billion, indicating a shift in investor behavior towards liquidity and diversification [2] - A significant portion of ETF inflows was directed towards fixed income, with $13 billion into investment-grade corporate bond ETFs and $17 billion into active bond ETFs, marking the highest inflows on record [4][5] Fixed Income Trends - Fixed income ETFs saw elevated interest, particularly in investment-grade corporate bonds and short- to intermediate-duration government bonds, reflecting a preference for higher-quality debt instruments [3][5] - Inflation-linked bond ETFs attracted $1 billion in new flows, marking the eighth consecutive month of inflows, indicating persistent investor concerns about inflation [6] Gold ETFs - Gold ETFs experienced substantial inflows driven by renewed inflationary concerns and expectations of earlier-than-anticipated policy easing by central banks, reinforcing gold's status as an inflation hedge [7] U.S. Equities Valuation - U.S. equities faced valuation headwinds, with the S&P 500's earnings yield dropping to 3.7%, below the cash yield of 4.22% from short-term U.S. Treasuries, suggesting potential overvaluation [8][9] International Equities - Non-U.S. equities are yielding nearly twice as much as U.S. counterparts and have outperformed U.S. markets by nearly 10% YTD, the largest performance gap since 2009, driven by a weaker U.S. dollar and easing monetary policy abroad [10][11][12] Fed Policy Outlook - The Federal Reserve is at a critical juncture, with markets assigning an 88% probability of a rate cut at the next meeting, while September is historically the weakest month for equity performance [13][14] Investor Positioning - There is a discernible tilt towards cyclical sectors like industrials and technology, with growth-oriented equity strategies receiving twice the inflows of value-based strategies, indicating a renewed appetite for companies with strong earnings momentum [15]