CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - July 1, 2009) - Spectrem Group (
www.spectrem.com) announced
today that its Spectrem Millionaire Investor Index (SMII)® fell 18 points
in June to end the first half of the year at -20.
This decline, the biggest since the index's inception in February 2004,
follows three consecutive monthly gains and reverses a record 17-point
advance in May 2009. It returns the millionaire index to mildly bearish
territory.
Meanwhile, the Spectrem Affluent Investor Index (SAII)®, which measures
the investment outlook of households with $500,000 or more in investable
assets, fell 8 points in June to -20, also a mildly bearish reading.
"Millionaires ended the first half of 2009 with a substantial decline in
investment optimism, ending a run of three-consecutive monthly advances
that began in March. The broader affluent population also saw optimism
fall. With the economy and the political climate ranking as top concerns,
the nation's wealthiest investors appear to be reassessing their springtime
optimism as we move into the summer months," said George H. Walper, Jr.,
President of Spectrem Group.
In response to an open-ended question about the most serious threat to
achieving their financial goals, affluent investors in June cited: the
economy (22%); the political climate (22%); market conditions (10%);
unemployment (10%); inflation (8%); and health-related issues (4%). Those
choosing the economy fell from 27% in March 2009, the last time this
question was asked, while those citing the political climate rose from 18%.
Millionaires expressed more concern about the economy (27%) and the
political climate (27%) than the affluent.
Historical Performance
January February March April May June
Spectrem Affluent
Investor Index® -28 -38 -30 -21 -12 -20
Spectrem Millionaire
Investor Index® -21 -34 -26 -19 -2 -20
Methodology
The Spectrem Affluent Investor Index® is based on 250 monthly interviews
with the financial decision-makers in households with $500,000 or more in
investable assets. The data have a margin of error of plus or minus 6.2
percentage points. The Spectrem Millionaire Investor Index® is based on
a subset of the overall survey group.
Contact Information: Contact:
Sharon Bially
(774) 270-1293
sharon@farrellkramer.com