Legendary fund manager sends blunt 9-word message on stock market tumble
TheStreet Apr 5, 2025 12:17 PM EDT
"Investors should not try to ‘catch a falling knife," wrote Gross bluntly in an email to Bloomberg.
Buying the dip in the S&P 500 has been a winning strategy historically, but the pain endured while stocks find their bottom can be hard to withstand. And it can take years to recover losses. The situation is worse for individual stocks, which may never get back to their previous highs (case in point: Cisco Systems (CSCO) still trades below its 1999 peak).
"This is an epic economic and market event similar to 1971 and the end of the gold standard except with immediate negative consequences,” said Gross.
In the early 70s, a collection of 50 leading stocks became regarded as "one decision" stocks - buy only. Money was concentrated within them, setting up a significant market drop when they peaked in 1972. Sound familiar?
It's a bit unclear what will happen next. Fed Chair Powell admitted that he thinks the tariff impact will be worse than previously forecast, perhaps setting up rate cuts again. Meanwhile, President Trump is on the airwaves pressing for Powell to cut rates—a strategy that hasn't worked in the past.
Perhaps the recent market drop will encourage negotiations that lower tariffs, easing their impact. But that remains to be seen, and Gross isn't convinced.
https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/legendary-fund-manager-sends-blunt-9-word-message-on-stock-market-tumble