empty
19.08.2022 03:23 PM
FTSE on verge of crash as institutional interest in UK equities fades

This image is no longer relevant

The UK is now facing multiple problems: the cost-of-living crisis, political chaos, and labor strikes. Now, the country's blue-chip index and the only bright spot in the economy, the FTSE 100, is under threat as well.

The index gained about 1.6% since the beginning of 2022, beating a 13% drop for the Euro Stoxx 50 thanks to its big exposure to value segments such as energy, miners, and banks. These segments of the economy have advanced as the economy began to broadly move away from growth.

The FTSE 100 is also under threat from dimming prospects for commodities. The index rose by about 7% from its mid-July low, compared to gains of about 9% for the Euro Stoxx 50, 16% for the S&P 500 and 20% for the Nasdaq 100.

This image is no longer relevant

"We are beginning to see institutional interest in UK equities fade," said Daniel Gerard, senior multi asset strategist at State Street Global Markets. Gerard stated that the outlook for energy would likely fall, and that the tailwinds from rates to currency weakness from the first half of 2022 were unlikely to propel the index further.

The latest survey of fund managers by Bank of America Corp. shows a similar trend. Even though the UK stock market is the market of choice for European investors, allocation to British stocks among global fund managers dropped to a net 15% underweight in August from 4% in July.

For comparison, investors in the eurozone are a net 34% underweight. At the same time, fund managers have a net 10% overweight for US stocks.

Even though the index is still considered to be "attractively valued" Alan Dobbie, co-manager of the Rathbone Income Fund, said he sees a "clear market consensus expecting central banks to be forced into a pivot away from their aggressive tightening programmes." As a result, investors could shift to more longer-duration growth sectors such as technology. The FTSE 100 has very few such companies.

This image is no longer relevant

On the other hand, the UK market still enjoys support from several positive fundamental factors: market participants get more than two-thirds of sales from outside the UK. This shields them from the country's economic and political headwinds.

"Companies that are not exposed to the domestic UK economy – that have global presence – are good places to hide out from the storm," Swetha Ramachandran, an equities investment manager at GAM, said.

The UK's domestic stocks remain under pressure, however. The FTSE 250, the UK's midcap stocks index, could lose 14% in 2022. The weaker pound has added to surging costs, while spiraling inflation has fueled concerns that consumers will limit spending.

"While so far earnings have held up better than expected, the market is concerned this will get a lot worse," Tineke Frikkee, head of UK research at Waverton Investment Management, noted.

Andrey Shevchenko,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

No Progress in Negotiations

This week, the European Union and the United States made no significant progress in resolving trade disputes, as officials from President Donald Trump's administration indicated that most of the U.S

Jakub Novak 18:48 2025-04-16 UTC+2

XAU/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Gold continues to draw investor attention, particularly in times of heightened uncertainty in financial markets. Trade Uncertainty: Ongoing uncertainty in trade relations between the U.S. and China makes gold

Irina Yanina 11:50 2025-04-16 UTC+2

USD/CHF. Analysis and Forecast

The USD/CHF pair is attracting new sellers today, showing signs of weakness under current economic conditions, driven by several key factors. Weak U.S. Dollar: The U.S. Dollar Index, which tracks

Irina Yanina 11:41 2025-04-16 UTC+2

Time works against market

Time is not on Donald Trump's side, nor the side of the US stock market. The longer the uncertainty surrounding White House policy drags on, the more likely it becomes

Marek Petkovich 11:39 2025-04-16 UTC+2

Confrontation Between the U.S. and China Will Negatively Impact Markets (Potential for Renewed Declines in #NDX and Litecoin)

Market optimism, fueled by Donald Trump's active manipulation of the tariff narrative, was short-lived. Traders remain focused on the escalating tensions between the U.S. and China following the U.S. Department

Pati Gani 11:34 2025-04-16 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on April 16? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

A few macroeconomic events are scheduled for Wednesday, but some important reports will be released. However, the current key issue is not the reports' significance but how the market will

Paolo Greco 07:06 2025-04-16 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – April 16: The Pound Sees No Limits

On Tuesday, the GBP/USD currency pair continued its upward movement. Although this rally was not as strong as last week's surge, the British pound kept rising steadily, with barely

Paolo Greco 03:35 2025-04-16 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – April 16: The Euro Stalls Awaiting New Tariffs

The EUR/USD currency pair mostly remained flat throughout Tuesday. Although both pairs are in an upward trend, the euro and the British pound have recently not been trading in sync

Paolo Greco 03:35 2025-04-16 UTC+2

EUR/USD. Gloomy ZEW Indices Put Pressure on the Euro

The euro reacted negatively to the ZEW indices released on Tuesday, which reflected growing pessimism in the European business environment. The key indicators dropped into negative territory for the first

Irina Manzenko 01:08 2025-04-16 UTC+2

The Euro Scared Itself with Its Own Momentum

The euro's surge to the area of three-year highs became possible thanks to Germany's fiscal stimulus, Donald Trump's trade policy, and a capital outflow from North America into Europe. When

Marek Petkovich 01:08 2025-04-16 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.