Global investors lift exposure to stocks as major markets touch record highs

Global investors increased their bets on stocks during February as major equity markets broke through all-time highs, fuelled by the promise of more monetary stimulus, Reuters' monthly asset allocation poll showed. As around 20 central banks have cut interest rates since the start of 2015, and with the European Central Bank set to launch quantitative easing next month, investors expect loose monetary policy to stir growth and boost corporate earnings. The monthly asset allocation poll, covering 47 fund managers and chief investment officers in the United States, Europe and Japan, found that the average recommended exposure to stocks in global balanced portfolios rose to 50.7 percent, the highest level since last September, from 49.5 percent a month earlier. The increased exposure to stocks came largely at the expense of alternative investments, a category that includes commodities, private equity and hedge funds.



via Business News http://ift.tt/1G0Agdp