Morgan Stanley: S&P 500 May Have Hit Capitulation Low

Morgan Stanley believes the U.S. stock market could be stabilizing after a sharp correction earlier this month. The investment bank’s chief U.S. equity strategist and CIO, Mike Wilson, says the worst of the downturn may be behind us.
In a new interview with CNBC, Wilson described April 7th as a “capitulation day,” marking a potential low for the current correction. Capitulation is a term used in financial markets to describe the moment when investors, overwhelmed by fear and losses, exit positions en masse — often indicating a bottom.
“I think we’ve seen the worst of the momentum,” Wilson said. “We’ve probably made the momentum low, the capitulatory low for this correction… The patient had a heart attack. Now the patient has to recover.”
S&P 500 Enters Recovery Range
After plunging to a new 2025 low of 4,835 points, the S&P 500 quickly rebounded with a 1,000-point rally over just two days. Morgan Stanley believes this places the index in a new trading range — between 4,850 and 4,900 — as markets search for direction amid macroeconomic uncertainty.
Wilson said the market is now in a phase of testing support and resistance levels. While short-term volatility is expected, the strategist doesn’t foresee a major move higher until investors gain clarity on economic conditions.
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Recession Fears Still Loom
According to Wilson, recent market action reflects growing concerns over a potential economic downturn. “That was the moment of recognition that, ‘Hey, we may be going over the edge here on the recession,’ and we priced a lot,” he said.
Until the depth of the economic slowdown and the outlook for recovery become clearer, Wilson expects the S&P 500 to remain volatile. Investors will be watching for further signals from economic data, corporate earnings, and central bank policy to determine whether the market has truly bottomed.