Investor confidence takes hit
Investor confidence has taken another hit to reach the third lowest reading ever recorded by the State Street Investor Confidence Index.
The index results, released today, revealed that global investor confidence fell by 2.4 points to 70.7 in September, down from a revised August level of 73.1.
The index revealed that confidence among North American investors remained subdued at a level of 76.1, up just 0.9 from August, while Asian investors also felt pessimistic with their confidence falling 2.5 points from a revised level of 88.3 points.
Commenting on the index, Harvard University professor Ken Froot noted that the reading was the third lowest since the inception of the index over 10 years ago.
“This is perhaps unsurprising, given the market turmoil that we have experienced,” he said.
Froot said that in examining the underlying data, he had discovered that alongside the diminution in risk appetite there had been a pronounced increase in the heterogeneity of investor positions.
“In deleveraging, institutional investors have sought to exit some of the more crowded trades in the marketplace,” he said.
Recommended for you
Digital advice tools are on the rise, but licensees will need to ensure they still meet adviser obligations or potentially risk a class action if clients lose money from a rogue algorithm.
Shaw and Partners has merged with Sydney wealth manager Kennedy Partners Wealth, while Ord Minnett has hired a private wealth adviser from Morgan Stanley.
Australian investors are more confident than their APAC peers in reaching their financial goals and are targeting annual gains of more than 10 per cent, according to Fidelity International.
Zenith Investment Partners has lost its head of portfolio solutions Steven Tang after 17 years with the firm, the latest in a series of senior exits from the research house.