Millionaire Optimism Index Up 10 Points in April

NEW YORK -- An index that measures the optimism of millionaire investors posted its third-biggest monthly advance ever in April, a month after the largest monthly drop ever, a consulting firm said Wednesday.

The Spectrem Millionaire Investor Index jumped 10 points to 15, returning the 3-year-old index to mildly bullish territory, where the index had been for the six months prior to March, the Spectrem Group said in a statement.

The Spectrem Affluent Investor Index, which measures the investment outlook of households with $500,000 or more in investable assets, posted an April advance of 6 points to 7 after the index also posted a record March decline. However, the affluent index remained neutral despite the advance.

"Altogether, this strength suggests that concerns about the first-quarter stock market decline, including the global sell-off of late February, have become little more than a memory for the nation's wealthiest investors," said George Walper, president of Spectrem Group.

Millionaires were primarily concerned with stock market conditions, followed by the economic environment, Spectrem said.

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