The Global Investor Confidence Index climbed eight points to 114.6 in March from a month earlier. North American ICI saw its largest increase in 12 months, from 109.4 to 123.6, up 14.2 points.
The Asian ICI edged up 0.7 point to 112.2 – the highest since 2015 – after rising 8.8 points in February. Meanwhile, the European index gained 5.1 points to 95.3 in March.
The indices are compiled using actual trades of institutional investors. A reading of 100 is neutral, while a higher score suggests more allocation into equities.
The Asian ICI stood below 100 from January to September last year, and remained above 100 since last October.
Jessica Donohue, executive vice president and chief innovation officer at State Street Global Exchange attributed the risk-up to oil price rally and less market volatility.
Strong confidence among North American investors was boosted by solid US economic growth, noted Kenneth Froot, founding partner of State Street Associates and developer of the index.
However, it remains uncertain how the Federal Reserve’s latest cautious stance on the next interest rate hike would affect investor confidence in the near future, he added.
