CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Feb 29, 2012) - Spectrem Group announced today that its Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index (SMICI (SM)) rose 6 points in February to 4, the highest level since May 2011.
The surge in the Millionaire index was driven by rising confidence in the economy, coupled with increased investment activity, particularly in stocks. This compensated for wariness expressed by Non-Millionaire investors, more of whom this month chose to "Not Invest."
The Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI (SM)), which measures the investment confidence and outlook of households with $500,000 or more in investable assets, gained 3 points in February to a neutral -5. This is the sixth consecutive month that this index had posted a gain.
"Millionaires were the story in February," observed George H. Walper, Jr., President of Spectrem Group. "While the broader Affluent Household Outlook is on the rise regarding attitudes toward financial components that impact their daily lives, it was Millionaire households that expressed the most confidence in the economy, company health and household assets. Non-Millionaires were not as confident, but among these investors, each Outlook component did post double-digit gains. It should also be noted that February was the first time since May 2011 that the components for the Millionaire and Non-Millionaire Outlooks were simultaneously each in positive territory."
Additional insights from the indexes are available on Spectrem's Millionaire Corner website (www.millionairecorner.com). These include:
- Millionaire Investor Confidence at Nine Month High
- Investors Keeping Closer Watch on International News
Affluent investors cited International Problems and the Political Environment as the top two news stories most impacting their economic outlook. Investors are closely more closely monitoring stories about unemployment, the deficit, and gas/oil prices.
Index Historical Performance
| October | November | December | January 2012 | February 2012 | ||||||
| Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index(SM) | -14 | -13 | -9 | -8 | -5 | |||||
| Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index(SM) | -13 | -6 | -3 | -2 | 4 |
Methodology
The Spectrem Affluent Investor Confidence Index (SAICI (SM)) is based on 250 monthly online interviews with the financial decision-makers in households with $500,000 or more in investable assets. The Index has 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.