LIVE MARKETS — AAII bearish sentiment climbs to 16 — month high as optimism tumbles
US equity index futures mixed, changes modest Euro STOXX 600 index down ~0.9% Dollar, gold gain; US crude edges up; bitcoin up ~2% US 10-year Treasury yield rises to ~4.98% Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you reporters. You can share your thoughts with us at Aaii Bearish Sentiment Climbs To 16-month High As Optimism Tumbles Pessimism among individual investors about the near-term outlook for the U.S. stock market surged in the latest American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Sentiment Survey as optimism tumbled and neutral sentiment also moved lower. Meanwhile, just over one-third of respondents said their current portfolio cash allocation is in line with their typical level. The share of investors expecting stock prices to decline over the next six months jumped 14.0 percentage points to 53.3%, the highest level since May 1, 2025, when bearish sentiment stood at 59.3%. Bearish sentiment is unusually high and has remained above its historical average of 31.5% for 32 consecutive weeks. Neutral sentiment, which reflects expectations that stock prices will remain largely unchanged over the next six months, fell 4.8 percentage point
98% Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you reporters. S. stock market surged in the latest American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Sentiment Survey as optimism tumbled and neutral sentiment also moved lower. Meanwhile, just over one-third of respondents said their current portfolio cash allocation is in line with their typical level.
3%. 5% for 32 consecutive weeks. 9%. 0%, and marks the 28th straight week of below-average readings.
8%. 5% in seven of the past nine weeks. 0%. 4% a week earlier.
5% for nine consecutive weeks, underscoring the increasingly cautious mood among individual investors. Whether sentiment has reached a sufficiently pessimistic extreme to signal a contrarian bottom in stocks remains to be seen. This week’s special question asked AAII members how the current amount of cash in their portfolio compares with their normal allocation. Here is a graphic showing how they responded.
(Terence Gabriel) *** Earlier On Live Markets: Half-time In Europe: Stoxx Tumbles Click Here Why The Trump-xi Meeting Matters For Markets Click Here How To Navigate Fixed Income Click Here Stoxx Dips, But Set For Weekly Gain Click Here Before The Bell: Muted End To The Week Click Here Boj Struggling To Keep Pace With Hiking Partners Click Here AAII09182026 AAIISQ09182026 (Terence Gabriel is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)