According to Odaily, Felix Zulauf, head of the Swiss consulting firm Zulauf, has shared his insights on the global market, suggesting that history may be on the verge of repeating itself. Zulauf, known for his critical Swiss perspective, offers a counterpoint to the often optimistic forecasts from Wall Street analysts. He currently believes that the market will continue to rise, despite acknowledging widely discussed negative technical factors in the stock market, such as overly optimistic sentiment indicating that investors are fully invested with few new buyers.
Zulauf notes that market gains remain concentrated in large technology companies, and the narrowing market breadth serves as a warning signal. However, he believes that positive liquidity trends should continue to drive prices higher. He also highlights that currency fluctuations could negatively impact the stock market and, consequently, the U.S. economy. Contrary to the traditional view that the economy drives the stock market, Zulauf argues that this relationship has reversed. The rise of the stock market and cryptocurrencies has strengthened consumer balance sheets, enabling them to reduce savings and increase spending.
Meanwhile, the U.S. labor market's supply-demand imbalance is pushing wages higher, and strong asset prices are allowing more Americans to retire early. However, a market downturn could have adverse effects. Zulauf, who spends considerable time in Florida, observes that many wealthy individuals with strong balance sheets would cut back on spending if the market fell by 20%. He has witnessed this behavior in the past and expects it to continue in the future. In contrast, poorer populations with fewer assets and tighter balance sheets contribute significantly less to overall spending.