What you need to know on Wall Street today
Welcome to Finance Insider, Business Insider's summary of the top stories of the past 24 hours.
In global markets, all signs of sentiment are pointing up. And it's that very unbridled enthusiasm that could spell their downfall.
Private client cash levels have dropped to a record low as a percentage of total assets, according to data compiled by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Institutional investors are also holding the lowest levels of cash since the start of the eight-year bull market, survey data compiled by Citigroup show.
Second, active equity funds just absorbed their biggest inflows in 2 1/2 years, according to BAML. Third and lastly, in perhaps the most direct reflection of swelling confidence, global markets are hitting records. Meanwhile, credit indexes have done the same amid 30 straight weeks of investment-grade bond inflows, BAML data show.
What's resulted is the so-called "Icarus trade," which has been characterized by the "melt up" seen in risk assets since the start of 2016. But there's a downside to flying too close to the proverbial sun - sooner or later, your wings will melt.
In related news, a mystery trader made a massive bet that the stock market will go crazy by October. And traders betting against Alphabet have lost more than $1 billion this year.
Blue Apron on Monday received its first deluge of ratings from Wall Street analysts, and they were mostly bullish. Shares in Chipotle Mexican Grill continued losing ground on Monday, after Credit Suisse chopped its price target by $100. And this chart shows a major shift in the way Americans eat.
In Wall Street news, some of the largest companies in the world are coming to the defense of the New York Stock Exchange. And a hedge fund started by a Steve Cohen protégé is up double-digits in 2017.
In deal news, the hedge fund that got a huge payout from Amazon's Whole Foods deal has a new target. And WebMD has agreed to sell itself to a private-equity firm for $2.8 billion.
As they aim to rebound from the 2016 election cycle, Congressional Democrats are setting their sights on a new enemy: mega-mergers. Democrats unveiled a new platform Monday that in part calls for a crack down on "corporate monopolies," blaming industry consolidation for stagnant wage growth, hiking consumer prices, and hampering small businesses' abilities to compete.
In tech, a new technology could change the game for Amazon, Facebook, Netflix and every smartphone user. Snap dropped to a new low. And Google's parent company Alphabet reports earnings today - here's what to expect
Jaguar's new super sedan will do 186 mph in style, and the Lamborghini Aventador S is a $500,000 raging bull on a racetrack.
Lastly, here are the 50 best restaurants in America.