A larger number of investors – 56 per cent, as against 48 per cent last year – are confident about investment opportunities in 2014, according to the Schroders Global Investment Trends Report.

Indian investors are the world’s most optimistic, with over 90 per cent upbeat about the environment. The report surveyed over 15,000 investors across 23 countries.

The trend, however, varies across regions. While two-thirds of investors in Asia and over half in Europe are more bullish in 2014, only 37 per cent of US investors share the optimism.

Interest in equities is high, with 70 per cent of those polled planning to invest in them in 2014. This is especially true of Asia equities, which find favour with about 74 per cent of investors.

In particular, over 50 per cent of those surveyed have faith in the performance of the Asia-Pacific region (includes China and Japan). But there is also the ‘Other Asia’ (including India), where only 20 per cent of survey respondents expected strong growth during the current year.

Among European, US and UAE investors, around 70 per cent plan to invest in equity. But despite their optimism on the Asia-Pacific, investment in their own country’s’ equities is the preferred option. And where do optimistic Asian investors plan to invest? Almost three-quarters of them plan to put their money in equities, with the numbers much larger in countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore. Unsurprisingly, the home country markets are the most popular investment choice for most.

Still, as the report points out, domestic issues have emerged as the single biggest worry for investors in 2014. While inflation tops the worry list in Asia and the UAE, rising taxes are a big concern in Europe and the US.

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