Equity inflows from BofA clients continue for sixth week, cyclicals back in focus

Investing.com -- Bank of America Securities said its clients were significant net buyers of US equities last week, marking a sixth consecutive week of inflows totaling $7.3 billion. This was the third-largest inflow since 2008 and the highest since October 2022.

Similar to recent weeks, both single stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw inflows, though single stocks attracted larger investments. BofA says most of the activity focused on large-cap equities, while small-cap stocks experienced more modest inflows.

Institutional and retail investors were net buyers for a second straight week, with retail flows turning positive after a brief pause.

In contrast, hedge funds became net sellers following three weeks of buying. Notably, institutional clients’ rolling four-week average flows reached their highest level in nine months.

Corporate client buybacks, while slowing, remained above seasonal norms as a percentage of the S&P 500’s market cap. Year-to-date, buybacks from corporate clients are on track to hit a record high relative to market cap.

On a sector level, clients purchased equities in six of the 11 sectors, with Technology and Communication Services (TMT) leading inflows. These two sectors have now seen six and seven consecutive weeks of buying, respectively.

Meanwhile, Health Care and Consumer Staples faced the largest outflows.

Cyclicals are also starting to attract attention, a reversal from earlier trends. In the five months leading up to the election, clients had favored defensive sectors and sold off cyclicals. Post-election, however, buying trends have shifted toward cyclical sectors.

"We see more room to run for cyclicals,” BofA strategists led by Jill Carey Hall said in a note.

ETF flows echoed this cyclical focus, with Energy, Materials, and Industrials leading sector inflows. Technology ETFs, on the other hand, experienced the most significant outflows.

Source: Investing.com