Dutch fund selectors are living up to expectations. More than half of delegates surveyed at the Expert Investor Netherlands conference in September 2011, planned to increase their investment grade corporate bond allocations during the following 12 months – the strongest positive response on any mainstream asset class (see graph 1). In July, our researchers found…
Heightened demand for Danish sovereign bonds, driven by the country’s perceived status as an economically and politically stable safe haven, has put its central bank in a difficult situation. While the inflows offer the Danish government access to funding on terms that southern European nations can only dream of (see News Round-up), the shift has…
Overview of the Italian market
Swiss investors are not yet convinced about the recovery of the global economy; 41% of them have negative views on the macroeconomic outlook, while 41% are undecided (see table 3). With funds’ performance deteriorating during this uncertain time, investors have started the year looking for more return in their portfolios by being less risk-averse. Low…
German business confidence grew for the sixth consecutive month in April, according to a closely-watched indicator of economic health. The Ifo Business Climate Index, which is based on the views of 7,000 companies on their current situation and future prospects, gained 0.1 points to reach 109.9. Although the benchmark remains several points below the levels…
Emerging hope amid euro fears
It will be no surprise to hear that German investors have significant doubts over the future of the eurozone. The general view is that the currency will not be falling apart as it is more than a simple question of whether there is a currency and monetary union or not. However, the concern over any…
It will be no surprise to hear that Belgian investors have lost confidence regarding the economic outlook within the eurozone, in line with the rest of European investors. Many investors told us they are looking at other asset classes’ performance, mostly outside the eurozone. Unsurprisingly, emerging markets is an option that we continue to hear…
Dutch investors are maintaining a balanced approach to any investment over the recent months. Many are keen to get back into the various opportunities that present themselves, but volatility and risk aversion keeps them from changing their current allocations dramatically. At the end of March 2011, total assets in Dutch insurers and pension funds was…
Danish investors continue to invest, however, following strong inflows into most asset classes during 2010, they expect 2011 to be more challenging. Governments on both sides of the Atlantic don’t seem to be able to get the sovereign debt crisis fully under control, casting doubts over bond investments. In addition investors have mentioned paying more…
Portuguese investors are very suspicious of the looming bailout from the European Union. Some of our interviewees were confident about the fact that Portugal can handle the continuous downgrading from ratings agencies. However, others expressed their concern and that further intervention is unavoidable, despite the several measures taken by the government during the last months.…
Swedish investors are broadly speaking confident about international investment markets. Although doubts remain over the eurozone, in particular the PIIGS countries, expectations for traditional asset classes are strong. During 2010, equity, balanced and bond funds enjoyed inflows of nearly SEK107bn. The ongoing strength of the Swedish kronor has led investors to place assets in domestic…
