The boomerang effect: what goes around, comes around

The US is retreating from globalization, and it is only a matter of time before it faces the consequences. According to a Bank of America survey, 69% of investors believe that American superiority is a thing of the past, leading to capital outflows and an 8.6% drop in the S&P 500 from its February highs. Since then, the stock market has lost around $5 trillion in market capitalization.

Don't set a trap for someone else—you might stumble into it yourself.

Ironically, the biggest problems for the US are coming from those who suffered the most at its hands. Trump's return to the White House led to a 20% tariff hike on China, but China struck back twice—first with DeepSeek's AI breakthrough, and then with BYD's game-changing electric vehicles.

BYD unveiled a new EV lineup capable of charging as fast as gasoline-powered cars, a blow that Tesla couldn't withstand. The stock plunged, triggering a broader selloff in the S&P 500.

The decline of US exceptionalism isn't the only reason why capital is fleeing America. Tariffs and trade wars are fueling a stagflationary scenario for the US economy. Fitch Ratings cut the 2025 US GDP growth forecast from 2.1% to 1.7%. At the same time, it raised inflation projections by 1 percentage point.

As a result, investors are dumping the "Magnificent Seven" stocks and shifting focus to companies that benefit from stagflation. Goldman Sachs' Stagflation Index has surged 14% over the past month, while the S&P 500 has lost 8.6% in the same period.

According to Bank of America, fund managers overseeing $426 billion in assets have slashed their US equity exposure by 40 percentage points—the fastest reduction on record.

The underweight position now stands at 23%, the highest since June 2023.

Meanwhile, European equities have reached their largest portfolio share since 2021. The direction is clear—money is flowing out of North America and into Europe.

A silver lining for the S&P 500?

However, there is one bright spot for the S&P 500. Corporate insiders are using the market correction to buy stocks. The bull-to-bear ratio has climbed to its highest level since June, returning to its historical average.

Fed's verdict will be crucial

The market is awaiting the Federal Reserve's policy decision. If the Fed follows the OECD and Fitch Ratings' advice to hold off on rate cuts in 2025, and the updated forecasts show only one or no rate cuts instead of two in December, the S&P 500 selloff could intensify.

Technical outlook: the S&P 500 fits into the bearish strategy

On the daily chart, the S&P 500 remains in a sell-off mode, following a shorting strategy at resistance near 5,670. As long as prices stay below the local high of 5,700, holding and adding to short positions makes sense. Target levels: 5,455 and 5,330.