Wall St Week Ahead-Lofty valuations on US stocks a growing worry for investors

Wall Street banks are warning that US stock values are approaching overbought levels, making equities more vulnerable to declines. The S&P 500 now trades at 19 times its expected 12-months earnings, above its historic average of 15.6 times, according to Refinitiv Datastream; similar valuation levels have preceded periods of rocky performance. Catalysts that could cloud the outlook include unexpected weakness in economic growth, a more hawkish Federal Reserve, and a rebound in inflation, investors said. Despite this, some investors still believe the stock market rally could continue, but with a pullback coming from overbought levels.