Despite volatility concerns owing to political uncertainties, advisers had a positive outlook on US equities at the start of 2017, according to a survey by Eaton Vance.
About 56% of advisers were found to be feeling bullish about the year ahead, according to findings from the latest Eaton Vance Advisor Top-of-Mind Index (Atomix) survey.
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In spite of the positive outlook, managing volatility stood as advisers' top concern for 2017, and was rated 114.5 on the ATOMIX scale. Majority (65%) of the advisers believed the new US administration to be the main driving force behind the volatility, followed by the Federal Reserve's decisions on interest rates.
At the same time, advisers are optimistic about the effect of President Trump's tax policies on the market, with 25% citing corporate tax reform as the top catalyst.
Advisors also cited retaining the same strategies for tax management, with tax loss harvesting (31%), followed by tax-managed equity funds (21%) and municipal bond funds (21%) as the top choice to help clients lower tax bills.
Eaton Vance managing director of retail sales John Moninger said: "Advisors see opportunity in equity markets, but are also aware of potential volatility and the macro challenges ahead. As a result, they are working to find ways to manage risk while driving strong results for their clients."
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By GlobalDataAlthough having volatility concerns, 54% of advisers said that volatility should be both managed to avoid losses and harnessed to take advantage of opportunities.
The view however, contradicted with that of clients, with 48% of advisors citing that their clients believe volatility should be only managed to avoid losses. According to advisers, 60% of clients had this sense of caution of investors more due to fear than greed.
"The current climate of elevated political uncertainty brings more potential volatility to the market, which could be beneficial for investors in search of value opportunities. Volatile markets provides advisors the chance to really deliver value and support to clients by helping them navigate uncertainty and stay on course to meet their investment goals," Moninger added.
The study also revealed increasing demand for responsible investing among clients, with 70% of advisers reporting that their clients requested these strategies. However, only 21% of advisers held the view that this strategy is important to their practices.
