Don’t bank on another blockbuster year for stocks — after two years of 20%-plus gains, 2025 might be more of a cold, hard reality check. 🥶
MONIIFY polled 17 market pros — strategists, traders, investors and fund managers — and 53% see the S&P 500 tapping out at 6,500.
That’s a respectable 7.4% climb, but nowhere near the fireworks we’ve gotten used to. And the skeptics? Nearly 30% think it will end the year flat or even down at 6,000.
Still the king!
For all the tempered expectations, US stocks remained the best game in town for nearly half (47%) of respondents. Gold came in second at 29%, and emerging markets snagged 17%.
Bitcoin? ZERO votes. Not a typo.
But don’t write off crypto just yet. “If you’re chasing big returns, maybe crypto is your thing,” especially since Trump’s crypto push could heat things up quick, Darren Clarke of APM Capital, tells MONIIFY.
Trump Bump or Trump Trap?
With Trump back in the Oval Office, Wall Street is hyped, but how long will this pro-biz buzz last?
Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers, indicates that perhaps it’s best to tread carefully as there is a real chance that the rally will hit a pause.
The market can spin Trump’s comments whichever way, but once he is in office, the tariff talk will get real, he tells MONIIFY. “For example, the recent comments about tariffs – now including Canada – could be shrugged off as a negotiating ploy.” But is it?
Trade tensions are shaping up to be the market story of 2025, with 65% of respondents flagging it as the top theme. Geopolitics, from Gaza to Ukraine, took second place.
And AI?
The AI gold rush might be nearing its breaking point. Marc Ostwald, chief economist and global strategist at ADM Investor Services International, tells MONIIFY that it’s beginning to feel dotcom-ish.
Even if there is some room for it to run further, if chip orders slow, it could be a clear signal that we are past the peak, he says.
Shockingly, AI scored zero votes as the top theme for 2025. 🤯
But don’t confuse a burst bubble with irrelevance. Just like the internet post-2000, AI will stick around, minus the fluff. “AI is only just getting started,” says Keith Temperton, sales trader at Forte Securities.
Moral of the story: 2025 could be a grind. Play your bets smart.
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