State Street Global Markets (SSGM) Global Investor Confidence Index (ICI) fell 8.9 points to 91.9 in February, driven by large drops in European and Asian ICIs which decreased by 16.6 points to 78.1 and by 17.5 points to 98.2, respectively.
At the same time, the North American ICT also slightly declined by 2.8 points to 93.3.
According to Rajeev Bhargava, head of investor behaviour research, State Street Associates, the slower than expected vaccine rollout combined with the added complexity of new, potentially more infectious variants elevated growth fears, particularly in Europe where official growth forecasts were recently lowered.
“And while Asia continues to experience a rebound in activity on the back of strong exports, concerns over tightening credit conditions out of China may have dampened enthusiasm for the region, evident by the much weaker sentiment expressed by institutions this month,” he said.
The ICI measures investor confidence or risk appetite quantitatively by analysing the actual buying and selling patterns of institutional investors. A reading of 100 is neutral and indicating the level at which investors are neither increasing nor decreasing their long-term allocations to risky assets.
The $75 billion fund has gained exposure to decarbonisation solutions in its first listed equities impact investment.
The superannuation fund is expanding its investment exposure to industrial property through a $1 billion partnership with Barings, a global investment manager.
AustralianSuper has usurped the Future Fund as the biggest Australian asset owner, jumping from 43rd to 36th place globally, according to an annual study by the Thinking Ahead Institute.
IFM Investors, the global institutional asset manager owned by superannuation funds, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the UK government to invest £10 billion by 2027.
Add new comment