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Positive attitudes toward investing in stocks persisted in the second quarter, with 62 percent saying that now is a good time to invest in them. The enthusiasm for equities is sharply higher than a year ago, when only 48 percent of investors were positive on stocks in 2012's second quarter. Likewise, investors are upbeat about real estate (63 percent, up from 59 percent in Q2 of 2012) and about their own home as an investment (67 percent, up significantly from 60 percent in Q2 of 2012).
Investors continue to shun bonds, with only 23 percent thinking it is a good time to invest in them, significantly lower than one year ago when 27 percent felt that way. Investors generally feel now is a bad time to be holding onto cash (64 percent).
Attitudes toward saving and investing remain remarkably high. Eight in ten investors feel than now is a good time to contribute to 401(k) plans (81 percent) and IRAs (78 percent), while 52 percent are positive on 529 College Savings Plans.
Investors are generally optimistic about the markets. A quarter of investors surveyed (26 percent) think that blue chip stocks will perform the best over the next six months, a significantly higher percentage than one year ago (21 percent in Q2 2012). One in five (20 percent) think that small cap stocks will do the best, whereas only 16 percent thought so in the second quarter of last year.
Overall for investors, top financial priorities are managing or maintaining their current lifestyle (30 percent) and saving for retirement (29 percent). Of those surveyed who are currently working, 41 percent say saving for retirement is their chief priority.
Forty-two percent of investors are very concerned about potential changes to
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SOURCE John Hancock Financial
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