A quarter of a trillion dollars is likely to flow from bonds to equities in coming weeks, in a shift by big investors such as US pension plans and sovereign wealth funds that is expected to support stock markets shaken up by the Ukraine crisis.
Declines for stock markets since Russia invaded Ukraine late last month will require large institutional investors to rebuild equity holdings in their portfolios to ensure these positions are consistent with their long-term asset allocation strategies.
The rebalancing, which is expected to take place as the first quarter draws to a close at the end of this month, will send up to $230bn shifting from bonds to stocks, according to JPMorgan Chase.