Stock Market Still Looks Strong, Despite Credit Downgrade – Tom Lee

Despite renewed concerns over America’s fiscal health, Fundstrat’s Tom Lee believes the recent dip in equities presents a buying opportunity rather than a cause for panic.
Speaking on CNBC, Lee dismissed Moody’s recent downgrade of the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA1 as already priced in by markets.
According to Lee, the downgrade doesn’t offer new information that investors weren’t already aware of. “This isn’t 2011,” he implied, referring to the first major U.S. rating cut more than a decade ago.
The real signal, he argues, would be a failed Treasury auction — something that has yet to occur. Until then, he sees no reason for concern about the bond market’s integrity.
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Lee acknowledged the U.S.’s rising debt burden but stressed that investor demand for government bonds remains strong, a sign that markets haven’t lost faith in Washington just yet.
Looking ahead, Lee is optimistic. He believes that the sharp April correction forced many investors out of the market prematurely and that much of the sidelined capital—an estimated $7 trillion—could begin flowing back into equities.
With stocks showing strength above key technical levels and many institutions still sitting cautiously on the sidelines, he predicts renewed buying pressure through the end of the year.
For Lee, the recent market pullback is less a warning sign and more a second chance for those who missed the rebound. As long as momentum holds, he suggests, the path forward may still be upward.