BlackRock Inc. Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink said it’s still worth betting on equities in the long run even though the coronavirus convulsed global stock markets this year and troubles may still lie ahead.
“Even today, a strong ownership in the new economies over long horizons is going to be a great asset class,” Fink said on a Deutsche Bank AG webcast on Wednesday. “The only asset class over a long horizon that you can rest assured, over long horizons, that you’re going to be safe, will be global equities.”
That doesn’t mean the near-term picture looks rosy. Fink’s remarks come weeks after he delivered a grim message on a private call with clients of a wealth advisory firm. Bankers he’s spoken to expect the coronavirus pandemic will hit American companies hard, with cascades of bankruptcies to follow, Bloomberg News reported at the time.
Fink, whose firm is the world’s biggest asset manager, acknowledged Wednesday that near-term pain probably lies ahead.
“I do believe jobs are going to be slower coming back than other people believe,” he said.
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