Goldman Says Hedge Funds Add Short Bets on US Stocks Amid Rout

March 8, 2026, 8:23 PM UTC

Fast-money investors are ramping up bets against US stocks, wagering on more pain ahead as tensions in the Middle East show few signs of subsiding.

Hedge funds boosted short positions in equity exchange-traded funds by 8.3% in the week through March 6, according to data compiled by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s prime brokerage unit. The pace at which the cohort deployed their bearish bets was exceeded just once in the past five years, the data show.

Appetite for US stocks is subsiding as the escalating war in the Middle East ramps up fears about surging oil prices and inflation. ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Tax or Log In to keep reading:

See Breaking News in Context

From research to software to news, find what you need to stay ahead.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools and resources.