Mohamed El-Erian warns that financial stress from coronavirus is 'far from over' and says investors must prepare for a debt crunch

"The financial stress caused by Covid-19 is far from over," he wrote.
Investors should choose to focus on adjusting their portfolios while thinking about the recovery value of their assets, the notable economist said.
He pointed out that the emergence of retail investors in stock markets displays a sense of complacency among investors about the future of the economy.
"This time, retail investors are front and centre. But it is the next stage that we should already be thinking about," he wrote.
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In a Financial Times op-ed , famed economist Mohamed El-Erian warned that the financial stress from Covid-19 is not even close to being over.

"The financial stress caused by COVID-19 is far from over," he wrote.

El-Erian wrote that investors should ready themselves for defaults that will "spread far beyond the most vulnerable corporate and sovereign borrowers."

He advised that instead of buying assets which have "stunningly decoupled" values from their underlying fundamentals, investors should adjust their portfolios to focus on the recovery potential of their assets.

So far, El-Erian wrote, defaults have only been limited to certain hard-hit sectors over the past few months of financial pain on both corporate and public balance sheets, but that could change, he warned.

"The sense that the worst did not come to pass has fed complacency among investors of all stripes," he said.

A sense of complacency has risen among all types of investors and a glaring example of that, he wrote, is the emergence of retail investors who roughly make up 25% of stock market activity amid recent volatility.

"A new generation of retail investors has emerged, helping stocks on their relentless march higher," he said.

Read more : UBS says buy these 18 diamond-in-the-rough stocks that will offer massive gains over multiple years, even as their underlying industries suffer A rise in business vigilance has been propelled by a resurgence in coronavirus cases around the world, he said while pointing out that some states in the US have reversed their reopening policies. This scenario "reduces borrowers' willingness and ability to meet contractual obligations" especially in hospitality, retail, and in developing countries, El-Erian wrote. Other concerns for investors include: a record speed of bankruptcies, job losses across all types of companies, deferrals in commercial real estate and credit card payments, and some developing countries defaulting on debt payments, he said. Despite several points of worry, investors are displaying "insufficient concern" as they continue to expect a sharp V-shaped recovery helped by development of a vaccine. Read more : A Wall Street investment chief dispels the notion that surging stocks are disconnected from the economy and lays out 3 reasons why the market will continue to climb over the next year On the other end, safeguards from governments and international organizations have managed to boost sentiment, El-Erian said.But he cautioned that such measures will not save investors from sharing some capital losses. "Many have already made it clear that they expect 'private sector involvement'. That is likely to mean, at the minimum, the short-term suspension of interest and principal payments." "This time, retail investors are front and centre. But it is the next stage that we should already be thinking about. That requires much more careful scrutiny from investors than the past few months have demanded," El-Erian concluded. NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to travel during the coronavirus outbreak See Also: US weekly jobless claims hit 1.3 million, less than economist forecasts A former top White House official blasts 'simply inexcusable' delays for coronavirus tests These 4 economic signals suggest the COVID-19 recovery is losing steam as cases spike SEE ALSO: More than 80% of investors fear the market will plummet again before the COVID pandemic ends, UBS says