Investor sentiment in the United States has reached a 30-year low, with a record-high 53% of Americans reporting that their financial situation is worsening, according to a recent Gallup poll. This marks the first time since 2001 that a majority of Americans have expressed financial pessimism. Additionally, 58% of respondents believe it is a bad time to find a quality job. The American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) survey also reflects this bearish sentiment, showing a record nine consecutive weeks with a bull-bear spread below -20, a level not seen since the early 1990s. Institutional investors have similarly adopted a cautious stance, with hedge funds' long-to-short ratio on U.S. equities falling to its lowest level in nine years, indicating the most bearish positioning since 2016. Fund managers have not been this pessimistic about U.S. assets in three decades. Moreover, 82% of investors managing $386 billion in assets anticipate a weaker global economy, suggesting a potential further decline in the S&P 500 over the next 12 months. Younger Americans are also feeling financial strain, with 42% of those under 30 reporting they are barely getting by, according to a Harvard survey. Overall, these data points highlight widespread economic pessimism among retail and institutional investors as well as the general public.