Bill Ackman urges US investors to ‘ignore’ the bears, media doomsayers: Calls Iran war ‘one-sided’ and will end well for America. Are you buying now?

It’s a sharply contrarian call at a moment when uncertainty is dominating headlines. However, Ackman echoes a long-standing principle from Warren Buffett: be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful (2).

Ackman didn’t hedge, stating now is “one of the best times in a long time to buy quality.”

His argument is simple and unapologetically bullish. When markets sell off broadly, they don’t always differentiate between strong and weak companies. Profitable, durable businesses get dragged down alongside everything else.

For example, if a profitable company drops 20% on fear alone, investors buying at that lower price are getting the same business at a discount. If the fundamentals hold, that gap can close over time — turning short-term fear into long-term gains.

Those low prices create opportunities for investors willing to step in during periods of fear.

Why Ackman thinks the market is getting it wrong

Ackman’s view ultimately comes down to how markets interpret risk, and whether fear has gone too far.

His post suggests that headlines may be amplifying worst-case scenarios rather than the likely market outcomes. He also pointed to what he described as a “one-sided war” in Iran, signaling that markets may be overestimating the likelihood of a prolonged escalation.

Taken together, his message is clear: Markets are already pricing more downside than is likely to materialize.

After all, markets don’t need good news to move higher. They just need news that’s less bad than expected.

Even skeptics are finding common ground

That kind of opportunity depends on one key assumption — that investors can trust how the system behaves when things go wrong.

“Otherwise, no financial institution that gets into trouble will be able to raise rescue capital in the private markets,” Ackman wrote (3). “If the government … can at a whim wipe out common and preferred shareholders, no one is going to step in to try to save a financial institution.”

Even Warren Buffett, according to Ackman’s post, reacted strongly to past interventions, saying he “couldn’t believe what the government had done.”

Additionally, Michael Burry, best known for predicting the 2008 housing crash, recently called Ackman’s March 22 X-post analysis “an important read” (4).

At its core, the argument is about trust. Investors only buy when they fear the market if they trust the system to weather the storm.

If investors believe the market will always rebound, periods of fear can create opportunities. If they don’t, risks can become far harder to price, and capital becomes much harder to attract when it’s needed most.

However, if confidence holds, it also helps explain why some investors see upside from here.

What is a ‘peace dividend’?

Ackman’s thesis hinges on the idea of a ‘peace dividend’, the economic and market boost that follows the easing of geopolitical conflicts (5).

In practical terms, it means reduced uncertainty. When uncertainty drops, investor confidence rises. That often shows up quickly in markets.

Capital flows back into equities, risk premiums fall, and valuations can adjust higher. Sometimes faster than expected.

It’s a key part of Ackman’s view. If the worst-case scenario doesn’t play out, and he claims it likely won’t, markets will reprice upward.

The bet comes with risks

Of course, that outcome is far from guaranteed.

Recession odds remain elevated, and inflation and interest rates continue to weigh on markets. At the same time, geopolitical tensions could escalate rather than resolve.

Ackman’s call depends on things going right — and markets rarely move in straight lines.

How to invest when markets feel uncertain

Even if Ackman is correct, jumping into the market all at once can be risky. A more measured approach starts with stability, then builds toward opportunity.

For example, if you invest a lump sum and the market drops another 10%, you’re immediately in the red. But if you spread that same investment out over time, those lower prices can actually work in your favor, bringing down your average cost.

That’s why investors focus less on timing the market and more on time in the market and their investment strategies. Once you build stability, then you can work towards seizing opportunities.

Build a base before chasing returns

Before putting money at risk, it can help to have a financial cushion in place.

A high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account can be a great place to grow your uninvested cash, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your money when you need it.

A Wealthfront Cash Account currently offers a base APY of 3.30% through program banks, and new clients can get an extra 0.75% boost during their first three months on up to $150,000 for a total variable APY of 4.05%.

That’s ten times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC’s March report.

Additionally, Wealthfront is offering new clients who enable direct deposit ($1,000/mo minimum) to their Cash Account and open and fund a new investment account an additional 0.25% APY increase with no expiration date or balance limit, meaning your APY could be as high as 4.30%.

With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, you get access to up to $8M FDIC Insurance eligibility through program banks.

Once that base is in place, investors often look for ways to start putting money to work — without taking on unnecessary timing risk.

Invest gradually instead of timing the market

The beauty of ETF investing is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.

Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: Link your cards, and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio.

With Acorns, if you set up a small recurring investment in a dividend ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

While gradual investing can help manage stock market volatility, some investors also look beyond equities to diversify their portfolios.

Alternative assets to stocks

You can tap into this market by investing in shares of vacation homes or rental properties through Arrived.