| | | European investors prefer bank deposits, life insurance and pension funds | | -October 21, 2003- | The attitude of small European investors has changed very little over the last two years, according to the Investment Barometer carried out by GfK Group upon request of The Wall Street Journal Europe. Regardless of age, household income and educational level, the most popular investment among Europeans remain the short-term bank deposits. Compared to the petty European investors, those in the USA continue to invest their money rather on financial markets and at stock exchanges.
Overall, 55% of the petty European investors place their money in short-term bank deposits. An almost equally popular investment is life insurance, preferred by 30% of the petty European investors. Also, 15% of these investors save in pension funds and one out of ten in securities.
The percentage of those who place their money at stock exchanges has remained almost the same - 12% in the spring of 2001 and 14% in the spring of 2002. This form of investment has significantly increased over the past 6 months, going from 18% to 23%.
Compared to Europe, almost 50% of the US private investors still have confidence in the stock exchange ad the investment funds, in spite of the modest performance of these markets. However, the confidence of Americans in short-term deposits is also growing.
The Investment Barometer survey is carried out half-yearly and provides information on the investment behavior. The survey covers the types of investments made regularly by private investors.
The survey was carried out by GfK Ad Hoc Research Worldwide upon request of The Wall Street Journal Europe and with financial support of GfK-Nürnberg e.V. between April 1 and May 22, 2003, on a total sample of 15.055 people in 18 countries.
The Wall Street Journal Europe
The Wall Street Journal Europe appears since 1983 with a daily circulation figure of 94.060 copies in Brussels. The Wall Street Journal Europe is printed in six printing houses in Germany, Belgium, Italy, the UK, Switzerland and Spain and distributed in over 50 countries in the region.
|
| | |
|
|
