These are the findings from CoreData Research’s latest i-sight Investor Attitudinal Barometer, which is done on a bi-annual basis to assess investor intentions for the next six months.
The score for each asset class is based on the likelihood of active investors putting money into funds of that style. A score between 50 and 100 can typically be interpreted as bullish, while a negative score means investors are bearish on an asset class and anything less than 50 shows investor uncertainty.
Also taken into account by CoreData Research is the amount the score for each asset class has fallen or risen compared to the previous study, as this indicates how much opinion has improved or worsened.
In particular, attitudes towards global equities have seen a significant fall, with the asset class witnessing a 38-point drop in investors’ opinion.
This indicates investors are much less interested in sending their money overseas than they were six months ago.
Domestic stocks were also a target of disdain, however, and fell from a relative high of 51 in investors’ minds in the second half of 2011 to 17 for the first half of 2012.
Property continued to wallow at the bottom of investor opinion, with a fall from -24 at the time of the previous study to -32 for the next six months, while bonds and fixed interest managed to maintain positive sentiment, despite a fall from 12 to four.
CoreData Research said sentiment outlook towards cash and money markets was the least changed, with a fall of four setting it at 33 – the highest score of all six reviewed asset classes.
Angele Spiteri Paris, senior consultant at CoreData Research, said: "Despite the strong opening for 2012 witnessed in equity markets, investors are visibly still tentative and somewhat downbeat in their outlook for investment.
"All six asset classes under review saw a drop in outlook sentiment and the fact cash and money markets are considered to be the most attractive asset class further underlines investors’ concerns."
