economy

Morgan Stanley flips stance on Europe as continent counts cost of Iran war

The Iran war has left Europe facing a "stiffer headwind", forcing Morgan Stanley Investment Management to retilt its exposure.

Morgan Stanley flips stance on Europe as continent counts cost of Iran war

TL;DR

  • Morgan Stanley is rotating from overweight to underweight Europe.
  • Higher energy costs due to the Iran conflict are expected to dent European growth.
  • The firm is rebalancing portfolios to be overweight the U.S.
  • Fiscal stimulus in Europe may be rerouted to cushion energy price impacts instead of boosting growth.
  • Oil prices have fallen but are not expected to return to previous lows, impacting Europe more significantly.
  • Morgan Stanley is mildly overweight and considering increasing exposure to Japan, potentially funding it from Europe.
  • Japanese industrials are also a sector of interest.