The John Hancock Investor Sentiment Index, released Friday, increased to +23 in the first quarter from +22 in the fourth quarter last year.
An upbeat financial outlook also remained stable. Half of investors felt they were in a better financial position today versus two years ago, and 49% expected their position to improve in two years.
Nearly three quarters of those surveyed believed that 2014 would be a positive year for the average American investor.
John Hancock’s Investor Sentiment Survey is a quarterly poll of affluent investors that measures their feelings about the current economic climate, good or bad investment given the current environment, their confidence in reaching key financial goals and their attitudes toward specific financial products and services.
Independent research firm Greenwald & Associates surveyed 1,028 investors in mid-February. Respondents were required to participate to some extent in their household’s financial decision making, and have a household income of at least $75,000 and assets of $100,000 or more.
Sixty-one percent of investors said it was a good or very good time to invest in stocks, and 56% said the same about stock mutual funds.