March's strong cash flows may not be repeated in April if investor confidence is any guide. The UBS Investor Optimism index fell to 89 in April from 121 in March. That is the index's lowest mark since December of 2001. The March index level was the highest since November 2000. The reason cited for the fall is the worry of the performance of the financial markets and the impact the Middle East crisis. Investors over age 40 and those with more than $100,000 n assets revealed the biggest drop in expectations.

The vast majority of investors (92 percent) said they had heard a moderate or great amount about the Middle East crisis, said UBS. More than half of those surveyed (52 percent) believe the Middle East conflict will hurt the investment climate in the United States. Furthermore, 87 percent of investors expect the situation to impact U.S oil prices, according to the survey.

Investor Optimism

Source: UBS, Gallop Organization

 

See the list of all the 2002 Most Influential People



Stay ahead of the news ... Sign up for our email alerts now
CLICK HERE