CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - February 23, 2011) - Spectrem Group announced today that its Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index (SMICI(SM)) rose 15 points in February to 17, reaching mildly bullish territory for the first time in more than 3 years.
This advance brings the index to its highest level since reaching 14 in October 2007, the last time it was mildly bullish. The February advance represents the second-largest gain ever for the index, surpassed only by its 17-point rise in May 2009.
Meanwhile, the Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI(SM)) advanced 7 points to a neutral reading of 4.
"Millionaires' investment confidence surged in February to its highest level in more than 3 years, returning to mildly bullish territory for the first time since the recession. Confidence also rose among the broader affluent population. With considerably more attention focused on events abroad than domestic economic issues, America's wealthiest investors appear to be moving past their lingering post-recession concerns," said George H. Walper, Jr., President of Spectrem Group.
Additional insights from the indexes are available on Spectrem's newly launched Spectrem's Millionaire Corner website (www.millionairecorner.com).
In response to an open-ended question about the news story most affecting their economic outlook, affluent investors in February cited: international problems (29%); the political environment (9%); unemployment (8%); health care reform (7%); the economy (6%); stock market conditions (5%); and tax cuts (3%). Those citing international problems rose from 5% in November 2010, the last time this question was asked, while those citing the political environment fell from 46%.
Millionaires were more focused on international problems (32%) than the affluent but slightly less focused on the political environment (8%).
Historical Performance
| September | October | November | December | January | February | |||||||
| Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index(SM) | -16 |
-13 |
-8 |
-8 |
-3 |
4 |
||||||
| Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index(SM) | -6 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
2 |
17 |
Methodology
The Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI (SM)) 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 Confidence Index (SMICI (SM)) is based on a subset of the overall survey group.
About Spectrem's Millionaire Corner
Spectrem's Millionaire Corner website (www.millionairecorner.com) is a powerful source for up-to-the-minute news and information for investors, about investors designed to fuel financial growth. It incorporates Spectrem Group research as well as outside information. In the future, the site will offer financial advisor referrals.
About Spectrem Group
Spectrem Group is a strategic consulting firm specializing in the affluent and retirement markets, integrating proprietary research with expertise in building business, marketing and M&A strategies. Its professionals have held senior management positions at leading global companies.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Sharon Bially
(508) 655-2676
sharon@farrellkramer.com