CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Jan 25, 2012) - Spectrem Group announced today that its Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI (SM)) rose 1 point in January to -8, representing its fifth-straight monthly increase.
This gain in the affluent index, which measures the investment confidence and outlook of households with $500,000 or more in investable assets, brings the index to its highest level since May 2011, when it stood at 2, and keeps it in neutral territory.
Meanwhile, the Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index (SMICI (SM)) rose 1 point in January to -2, its highest since June 2011, when it stood at -1. It also remains neutral.
"Affluent investors saw their investment confidence rise slightly for a fifth-straight month in January as their concerns about the economy eased. Confidence among millionaires also inched higher. However, with affluent investors' focus on the stock market intensifying in January, their modest improvement in confidence suggests this important group remains somewhat cautious as we move into the New Year," said George H. Walper, Jr., President of Spectrem Group.
Additional insights from the indexes are available on the Spectrem's Millionaire Corner website (www.millionairecorner.com). These include:
In response to an open-ended question about the one factor most affecting their investment plans, affluent investors in January cited: stock market conditions (38%); the economic environment (18%); retirement (12%); household income (6%); and the political climate (4%). Those citing stock market conditions rose from 33% in October 2011, the last time this question was asked, while those citing the economy fell from 22%.
Millionaires were slightly more focused on stock market conditions (39%) but less focused on the economic environment (15%) than the affluent.
Historical Performance
| August | September | October | November | December | January | |||||||
| Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index(SM) |
-18 |
-16 |
-14 |
-13 |
-9 |
-8 |
||||||
| Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index(SM) |
-9 |
-10 |
-13 |
-6 |
-3 |
-2 |
Methodology
The Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI (SM)) is based on 250 monthly email 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:
George Walper
(224) 544-5350
gwalper@spectrem.com