According to analysts at HSBC, funds have rotated into tech-heavy markets, mainly at the expense of Europe. The firm said in a note that European funds are cutting their cyclical exposure relative to defensives.
"Despite a slower than expected fall in bond yields, signals of a delayed decline in interest rates by the major central banks, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and concerns associated with the Ukraine-Russia war, equity markets seemed to have been driven by the strong euphoria associated with the Technology sector and have posted a c5% return in February (so far)," explained the bank.
"Not surprisingly markets, such as Europe, with relatively lower representation of Technology in the wider index, have lagged; whereas the tech-heavy markets, such as the US, have gained the most," they added.
Meanwhile, analysts note that since September 2023, European equity funds have been trimming their cyclical holdings relative to defensives, with healthcare the largest beneficiary across defensive sectors. "We see a margin for further buying as the sell-side outlook is improving and the sector is still unloved," said HSBC.
"Across cyclicals, industrials holdings have fallen sharply, which aligns with deteriorating sell-side EPS momentum for the sector," continued the bank. "However, we think that the scope for a further fall in Industrials holdings is limited, as it is already very low relative to long-term average levels."
"Elsewhere, financials registered a large drop in allocations in the last 3M, which is mainly due to falling active weights for the financial services sub-sector."