Valuation concerns as investors clamour for short-term certainty

Over-valuation in tech, software and consumer staples

clock • 4 min read

Investor appetite for certainty on near-term profits and strong balance sheets could be forcing some stocks to outperform “irrespective of their underlying intrinsic valuations”, portfolio managers have warned.

Technology and software firms are among the companies which are able to have a greater degree of certainty despite lockdown conditions, and investors have favoured them in the equity market recovery since mid-March. This is evident in the strong returns of the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index, which is up 12.8% year-to-date, according to FE fundinfo. By comparison, the S&P 100 has returned just 3.9% over the same period while the MSCI World is down by 1.6%. Managing director of strategic public equity at Gresham House Richard Staveley explained that during a typical market crisis investors...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Investment

The risks of underinvesting in a stock market bubble

The risks of underinvesting in a stock market bubble

Booms and crashes are part and parcel of the market cycle

Laith Khalaf
clock 17 February 2026 • 3 min read
US investment manager Nuveen to buy Schroders in £9.9bn deal

US investment manager Nuveen to buy Schroders in £9.9bn deal

Combined group will oversee almost $2.5trn of assets under management

Linus Uhlig
clock 12 February 2026 • 2 min read
UK DIY investment grew by more than £100bn in 2025

UK DIY investment grew by more than £100bn in 2025

According to data released by Boring Money

Patrick Brusnahan
clock 11 February 2026 • 2 min read