Bullishness Remains Steady as Geopolitical and Energy Concerns Rise, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Pulse Survey Finds

As uncertainty rises, investors keep a close watch on their portfolios

NEW YORK, April 22, 2026–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Morgan Stanley Wealth Management today announced the results of its quarterly retail investor pulse survey:

  • Bullish sentiment holds. More than half of investors (55%) remain bullish this quarter, only slightly below last quarter (56%).

  • Inflation remains the top concern as new pressures rise. While inflation continues to loom large (50%), concern about geopolitical conflict increased to 20% (up from 12% in Q1) and energy costs rose to 18% (up from 12% in Q1).

  • Volatility expectations build. About two in three investors (63%) expect volatility to rise, six percentage points higher than last quarter.

  • Upcoming midterms add to market anxiety. Nearly half (48%) of investors worry midterm elections could affect stock performance.

  • Amid uncertainty, investors stay engaged. Half (50%) of investors have increased the amount of time they devote to their portfolio this quarter—up from 41% last quarter.

“With geopolitical concerns, policy uncertainty and higher costs, market whiplash is very real, making day-to-day moves feel noisy,” said Chris Larkin, Managing Director and Head of Trading and Investing, E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley. “But rather than pull back, many investors remain engaged—adjusting to volatility and looking for opportunities in a more complex market backdrop. A healthy dose of volatility is a normal part of market dynamics, and commitment to an investing plan is key.”

The survey explored investor views on sector opportunities for the second quarter of 2026:

  • IT—With AI disruption continuing to move the market, more than half of investors (56%) point to information technology as the sector with the greatest potential this quarter.

  • Energy–Amid spiking oil prices, investor interest in energy is unchanged this quarter, holding steady at 49%.

  • Health care–As market risks shift, interest in health care—known for its relative stability during uncertainty—ticked up 2 percentage points to 35%.

About the Survey
This wave of the survey was conducted from April 1 to April 20 of 2026 among an online US sample of 940 self-directed investors, investors who fully delegate investment account management to financial professionals, and investors who utilize both. The survey has a margin of error of ±3.20 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. It was fielded and administered by Dynata. The panel is broken into three investable assets: less than $500k, between $500k to $1 million, and over $1 million. The panel is 60% male and 40% female and self-select as having moderate+ investing experience, with an even distribution across geographic regions, and age bands.

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Apple after Cook, Allbirds after shoes, and TKer Stock Market Truth No. 9 🍎🐦

Nothing lasts forever. This is especially true in the business world: Entrepreneurs and executives come and go, and industries and companies rise and fall. These dynamics are very much at the core of TKer Stock Market Truth No. 9: There’s a lot of turnover in the stock market. Specifically, this observation concerns how stocks are

Adecoagro Sets 2026 Dividend Plan As Cash Returns Face Key Tradeoffs

Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. Adecoagro (NYSE:AGRO) has approved a new cash dividend distribution to shareholders. The dividend will be paid in two installments scheduled for May and November 2026. The decision reflects a planned return of capital to investors

The Mistakes I Keep Seeing ETF Investors Make With “Set It and Forget It” Funds

For as much good as the ETF industry has done in offering hundreds of ultra-cheap investment products targeting almost every market, sector, and theme, they’re not perfect. We often hear the phrase “set it and forget it” when it comes to investing. I’ve used it several times myself. While that theory works at a high

Amkor (AMKR) Reports Earnings Tomorrow: What To Expect

Semiconductor packaging and testing company Amkor Technology (NASDAQ:AMKR) will be announcing earnings results this Monday after market hours. Here’s what to look for. Amkor beat analysts’ revenue expectations last quarter, reporting revenues of $1.89 billion, up 15.9% year on year. It was an exceptional quarter for the company, with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates

Stock Market Outlook: 4 Signs AI Trade Could Soar 30% in Dot-Com-Style Rally

The stock market looks like it’s headed for a 1999 moment, BCA Research says. Loading audio narration… The investment research firm said it sees the potential for an AI-fueled “melt-up” in the stock market— a sharp rally in stocks that other forecasters have predicted could be followed by a brutal meltdown. BCA said that’s because

2 ETFs to Buy With $100 and Hold Forever

The stock market has already taken investors for a ride in 2026. After a relatively calm first two months of the year, the S&P 500 fell 9% only to turn around and bounce 12% higher off the lows. The uncertain direction of the Iran war, inflation, and economic growth has most people focused on what

This Ultimate AI Stock Has Gained 26% This Year and Still Isn’t Done

Nvidia (NVDA +4.30%) became the world’s most valuable company because it is a critical part of the AI build-out. Companies need Nvidia chips for computational power, but it turns out Nvidia needs another company to manufacture its chips. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM +5.08%) creates the chips that Nvidia designs. It’s not just Nvidia, either.

Software’s comeback bid is fading as chip stocks smash records: Chart of the Day

Software had a chance to take the baton — but chips grabbed it back. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) is no longer breaking down. After sliding over 5% on Thursday — its worst day since the April 4 post-”Liberation Day” sell-off — it fought back to finish slightly positive on the week. Software

3 Market Trends That Could Shape the Rest of 2026

The past few years have featured pretty much just one dominant market theme: artificial intelligence (AI). Stock market winners, economic growth figures, and earnings expectations were all built around the AI development story. 2026 looks a little different. The AI narrative is still hanging around, but it’s more in the background now. The Iran war,

Why Beyond Meat Stock Surged This Week

Beyond Meat (BYND 8.07%) stock closed out this week’s trading with a gain of 6.1%. At one point across the stretch, the company’s share price had been up 25.6% from where it stood at the end of the previous week’s market close. Beyond Meat’s valuation moved higher in conjunction with bullish momentum for the broader

1 Small‑Cap Sports‑Data Stock That Could 5X as Prediction Markets Explode

Sometimes, companies and investors ought to be careful about what they wish for. Genius Sports (GENI +2.76%) and Sportradar (SRAD +3.02%) are arguably good examples of that sentiment. At their cores, Genius and Sportradar are sportsbook data providers. Still, over the years, some analysts have argued the shares should be treated more like SaaS stocks

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x