Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Investors enter 2011 in bullish mood: Poll

  • http://www.PaisaLive.com/register.asp?707956-2948661 
  • http://www.PaisaLive.com/register.asp?707956-2948661 
  • http://www.PaisaLive.com/register.asp?707956-2948661 
  • http://www.PaisaLive.com/register.asp?707956-2948661 
  • http://www.PaisaLive.com/register.asp?707956-2948661 
  • http://www.PaisaLive.com/register.asp?707956-2948661 
  • http://www.PaisaLive.com/register.asp?707956-2948661 
  • http://www.PaisaLive.com/register.asp?707956-2948661 
LONDON: Investors are entering 2011 in a relatively bullish mood, raising equity holdings to a 10-month high, increasing exposure to high-yield credit and cutting back on government debt, Reuters polls showed on Wednesday. 

Within bond portfolios, however, concern about the cost of the US Treasuries and the stability of euro zone debt, did not show up dramatically. 

Allocations to emerging market debt were cut instead. 

Surveys of 55 leading investment houses in the United States , Europe ex UK, Japan and Britain showed investors holding 54.1 percent of a typical mixed-asset portfolio in stocks in December. 

That was up from 53.2 per cent in November and the highest since 55.4 per cent in February. 

Bonds were cut to 33.9 per cent, the lowest since February, from 34.2 per cent in November. Cash was at 3.9 per cent, down from 4.6 per cent. 

A combination of improving economic data and a belief in future, robust, corporate earnings has lifted investor appetite for equities over the past few months. The MSCI all-country world stock index was flirting with levels last seen in September 2008 on Wednesday. 

"People are coming off the sidelines and buying stocks," said Keith Wirtz, president and chief investment officer at Fifth Third Asset Management in Cincinnati. 

There was also sign of risk appetite in an increased exposure to riskier, higher yield bonds. 

At the same time concerns have risen that yields on benchmarket government bonds are too low, providing little return and threatening a sell-off. 

Investors in the Reuters polls did cut back overall exposure to bonds. But when it came to the money left for bonds they favoured the US and euro zone government debt over most emerging markets, which have been very popular this year. 

Exposure to emerging market debt was 8.1 per cent of a bond portfolio for the month, compared with 9.6 percent a month earlier. 

Investors also regained some composure about euro zone government bonds following the crisis over Ireland's debt. They raised exposure within a bond portfolio to 31.5 per cent from 31.2 per cent, although these numbers remain well below the more than 42 per cent seen at the beginning of 2010.

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