Fund performance

Americans’ financial outlook is improving, according to the December Country Financial Security Index. Thirty-eight percent rate their financial security positively, and another 15% sense their financial security is improving.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased 1.1% in November to 112.4, following a 0.4% increase in October and a 0.6% increase in September.

U.S. equities are the primary beneficiary of improving global investor sentiment, according to the BofA Merrill Lynch Survey of Fund Managers for December.About 44% of respondents expect the world’s economy to strengthen in 2011. And with the continuing problems in Europe’s debt market, investors are turning to U.S. equities, according to the survey.

Ninety-six percent of institutional investors overwhelmingly believe Europe will be able to avoid a “full-fledged crisis,” according to the inaugural Barclays Capital Global Macro Survey.

The outlook of chief executive officers of leading companies improved significantly in the fourth quarter from the previous quarter, according to the Business Roundtable’s 2010 CEO Economic Outlook Survey.

Recent, surprisingly positive signs for the economy and the markets are on the rise-indicating that investors might return to equities and equity funds in 2011.

Despite a recovering economy, mass affluent investors believe the recession isn’t quite over.

PHOENIX—If the U.S. economy grows at Goldman Sachs’ forecast of 2.7% in 2011 and 3.6%, this will represent three years of respectable growth, said Heather Shemilt, managing director and head of the pensions, endowments and foundations group at Goldman Sachs. Shemilt was addressing Information Management Network’s “Super Bowl of Indexing” here Monday. In the first three quarters of this year, the U.S. GDP has grown 2.63%.

The only software that really has intrinsic value is the software that can predict returns on mutual funds, exchange-traded funds or single stocks.

The global economy is in the middle of a scary macroeconomic environment, with fiscal imbalances in Europe, Japan and the U.S. and increased regulation, which is confusing companies as well as individuals, according to T. Rowe Price’s director of global equity.

Registered investment advisors became slightly more optimistic about the economy in November, as measured by Rydex/SGI’s Advsor Confidence Index.

The stock market is on a roll, according to TD Waterhouse’s 2011 Investment Outlook.

A survey of affluent investors by research firm TNS shows that the TNS Investor Confidence Index rose to 116 in October, its highest level since hitting 129 in 2007. Its lowest point was 81 in October 2008.

Erik Weisman, investment officer and portfolio manager at MFS Investment Management, had one question for journalists gathered at the firm’s 21st annual investment outlook: “Where’s the V?”

NEW YORK - The main driver for the global economy is coming from emerging markets, said investment experts at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney at a breakfast Wednesday on the firm's outlook for next year.

Robert Kelly, Bank of New York Mellon’s chairman and chief executive officer, said a “huge" amount of uncertainty remains in the economy and until the housing situation is sorted out and unemployment is reduced, the financial system will remain uncorrected.

BOSTON-A chorus of revolutionaries convinced that traditional, growth, value and blend style-dominated asset allocation needs to be replaced by strategic, tactical allocation was quite vocal at FundForum 2010 USA here last week.

U.S. small-cap value stocks-consumer discretionary, industrials, financials and energy in particular-are poised to deliver solid returns as the economy and the stock market continue to improve, according to investment officers at recent outlook briefings.

The U.S. dollar could lose 20% of its value as a result of the trillions of dollars the Federal Reserve is pumping into the money supply by purchasing long-term government bonds through QE II, or quantitative easing, part two, Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer of PIMCO, told Reuters.

Although 78% of chief financial officers think the economy might not recover for another two years, 39% are planning to increase their capital investments in 2011, mostly on new technology.