Institutional investor confidence slips to lowest level globally in four months, State Street says
- Uncertainty over the US-China trade war and monetary policy are weighing on investors’ risk appetite, according to the financial services firm
- Global Investor Confidence Index has fallen for three straight months
State Street said its Global Investor Confidence Index in August fell to the lowest level in four months in another sign the US-China trade war is weighing on business and sentiment.
The financial services company said on Wednesday that sentiment among institutional investors declined for the third month in a row as uncertainty over monetary policy and trade tensions reduced risk appetite amid concerns over potential downside risks to the economy.
“This month’s investor confidence index results reflect investors' growing concerns about the global economic slowdown and widespread declines in global manufacturing as the trade war between the world’s two largest economies continues to escalate,” said Kenneth Froot, a Harvard professor and founding partner at State Street Associates, the company’s research arm. “Investors are expressing renewed risk aversion in the midst of heightened volatility in the financial markets and a renewed inversion of the treasury yield curve.”
State Street said that its global index slipped to 75.9 in August, lower than July’s reading of 84.6. That is the lowest level since April.
A reading of 100 is considered neutral, meaning investors are not increasing or decreasing their long-term allocations to risky assets. The index is based on actual trades of institutional investors, State Street said.
The results came in what has been a whiplash-inducing week for investors following US President Donald Trump’s comments at the Group of 7 meeting in France.