Growth to Gold: Wall Street’s Favorite Trade Just Changed

April 23, 2025 | Andrew Taylor, Associate Research Analyst

According to the most recent Bank of America Global Fund Manager Survey, gold has surged to the top of the list of the most crowded hedge fund trades, with 49% of respondents identifying a long position in the metal as the highest conviction play on Wall Street. This represents a significant shift in sentiment, as April marks the first month in two years that a long position in the Magnificent Seven technology stocks (i.e., Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, Tesla) did not top the list. This pivot reflects rising caution across investors given ongoing market volatility, persistent inflation, and uncertainty around future monetary policy. The move into gold, a traditional safe-haven asset as described in the last edition of our Chart of the Week series, suggests that fund managers are becoming increasingly defensive and seeking protection from potential further deterioration in risk assets. Indeed, the Magnificent Seven basket has fallen roughly 23% on a year-to-date basis as of this writing, and now just 24% of fund managers believe it to be the top trade given elevated valuations and the extent to which these companies are exposed to a global supply chain that has fractured due to tariffs. Conversely, gold has surged more than 28% since the start of 2025 given heightened risk aversion on the part of investors. It is important to remember, however, that gold is not necessarily a viable long-term investment given its lack of cash flows and the extent to which speculation drives its price.

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