Almost 400 financial advisors surveyed at Bank of America's Merrill Lynch unit said they favor bonds and cash the most for investment portfolios, with stocks at a "distant third," a report out Wednesday said. Bonds as a percentage of portfolios climbed to 27% when the survey was taken in late January and early February, up from 24% a year earlier. The average allocation to cash climbed to 10% from 7% a year ago, while stocks fell to 57% from 62%.
Almost two in five of advisors said "they are moving more into bonds," with fewer than one in five moving more into stocks, the report said. With the surplus cash that's being generated in portfolios, 26% of advisors plan to buy stocks, down from 42% last year. Meanwhile, 29% intend to put the money into bonds and 30% "are happy to remain in cash.