Retail Investors Still Bullish, for Now

 “While investors seem cautiously optimistic about the short term, the complex and evolving macroeconomic events happening domestically and abroad will further shape this debate.”

Sixty-five percent of survey participants named stocks as their favorite asset class, followed by 57% who preferred equity mutual funds and 46% who chose exchange-traded funds.

Health care and information technology were investors’ choice sectors, with 64% expressing interest in the former and 50% in the latter.

The poll also showed that investors continued to see opportunity in international investments across regions and asset classes.

Fischer offered investors these observations:

• Maintaining a diverse portfolio across asset classes and sectors can help reduce risk during periods of market uncertainty
• Although a strong U.S. dollar can produce positive results when investing abroad, subsequent currency fluctuations can also affect returns, sometimes negatively
• Stock, ETF and mutual fund screeners can help investors narrow down investment opportunities by offering analysis techniques and filters, including fundamental and technical indicators.

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