Investors are undeterred by the pandemic uncertainty and are keen to invest more in the future, according to Calastone.
In a white paper based on global investors’ sentiment and behaviour, Calastone surveyed 1,800 investors in UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Germany.
There was a marked increase in investment appetite and activity in 2021, compared to the previous year, which reflected pent-up demand, growing confidence in the economic outlook and increased appreciation of financial security.
Some 42% of people said they had already invested more as a direct consequence of the virus, rising to 51% in Australia. However, 66% of Aussies were worried about their financial future.
Over half (56%) of investors in Australia said they now found investing ‘easy’ compared to 48% before the pandemic. There was also high satisfaction with their returns, customer services and the types of funds on offer.
Ross Fox, managing director and head of Australia and New Zealand, said: “Investors adopting a more proactive and opportunistic approach is also evident in the flow of funds that we continue to see across our network, with $10.2 billion flowing into Australian-based managed funds this year.
“This latest pulse check shows that investors have overcome some of the anxiety they expressed in earlier surveys, particularly in Australia, which perhaps signals a growing acceptance of living with COVID-19.
“While Australia currently feels the weight of COVID-19 while other parts of the world appear to be recovering from the pandemic, rising levels of local engagement, ease of investing and product knowledge is a testament to the efforts of fund managers and distributors who have kept investors well informed and engaged throughout the last 18 months.”
