July 2012 Decoding Global Investment Attitudes

July 2012 Decoding Global Investment Attitudes

Investment decisions and matters of personal wealth vary by gender, age and geographic region Globally, men are 36% more active than women with investments Women are 25% more likely than men to rely on friends and family for advice on personal finance matters Investors rely more on themselves when making investment decisions than on any other information source Investors in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East are the youngest; North Americans are oldest Online banking rivals physical branch banking for investment services in most regions As global economies continue to focus on ways to accelerate economic growth, consumers too are looking for ways to bolster their budgets. Nielsen s Global Consumer Confidence Survey shows that over the past year, consumers around the world have increased their saving strategies. Half of online respondents worldwide say they are putting spare cash into savings an increase of 11 percent since May 2011 and nearly one-fourth (23%) indicate they are investing in stocks and mutual funds a year-over-year rise of 35 percent. With an increased appetite for savings and investments, Nielsen takes an indepth look at the profile of the investor consumer. What is the optimal age for investing, and how does this differ by geographic region? How do investment decisions change with maturity? Are women more risk averse than men and how much risk is too much? What information sources are most reliable and which channels are emerging as credible transaction centers? New findings from a Nielsen online survey of respondents from 56 countries around the world provide insights to better understand the consumer mindset on investment strategies and the emerging opportunities across both the developed and developing economic landscape. The study is based on online consumers who have indicated they currently use investment services, which include stocks, mutual funds, bonds, certificate of deposit, local and overseas stocks, derivative tools and foreign currency for investment purposes. Copyright 2012 The Nielsen Company. 2

Gender disparity is greater in developed economies In Europe and North America, male investors are 54 percent and 50 percent more active than women, while in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, the difference between genders is less... When it comes to investments, one-third of global online respondents say they are investing on different asset classes. The Asia-Pacific region is the most developed with nearly half (48%) of consumers using investment services compared with North Americans (27%), Middle Easterners (21%), Europeans () and Latin Americans (13%). The results correlate with the strong saving mindset among Asian consumers who place a high priority on saving and investing. Two-thirds of Asian consumers report putting spare cash into savings double the amount reported in other regions, and 38 percent invest in stocks/ mutual funds, which is more than four times reported investment activity in other parts of the world, according to Nielsen s Q1 2012 Global Consumer Confidence Survey. Overall, men are more active than women when it comes to investments, but marked regional differences reveal that there is a greater disparity between men and women in the more developed regions of the world. In Europe and North America, male investors are 54 percent and 50 percent more active than women, while in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, the Men are more active investors than women GLOBAL AVERAGE MIDDLE EAST /AFRICA difference between genders is less severe at 16 percent and 29 percent, respectively. Women represent a significant opportunity for the investment % of Population that Have Investments TOTAL MALE FEMALE DISPARITY 33 38 28 36 48 51 44 16 16 20 13 54 21 22 17 29 13 16 10 60 27 33 22 50 community given their growing wealth accumulation and the natural increase of women in the workforce, especially in emerging markets. 3 Copyright 2012 The Nielsen Company.

Stocks are tops for investment portfolio When it comes to investing, stocks are favored over other investment options, such as mutual funds, precious metals, bonds, structured investment products, foreign currency or derivatives in all regions except Latin America, where mutual funds are preferred. In Latin America, the results are likely due to product availability rather than product knowledge. Investment Product Portfolio Stock Mutual Fund/ Unit Trust Gold/Silver/ Precious Metals Foreign Currency 23 38 54 73 Stock Mutual Fund/ Unit Trust Gold/Silver/ Precious Metals Foreign Currency 20 15 44 49 Investing in stocks is most prevalent in Asia-Pacific, where nearly threequarters of respondents put confidence in this asset class. More than half have investment on mutual fund/ unit trust, roughly one-third invest in precious metals, bonds and structured investment products and one-fourth invest in derivatives and foreign currency. The other regions present a more balanced investment portfolio, spreading the wealth more evenly across product offerings. Bond Structured Investment Products Derivatives Other 5 27 36 34 Stock Mutual Fund/ Unit Trust Gold/Silver/ Precious Metals 14 29 40 Bond Structured Investment Products Derivatives Other 18 22 7 17 MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA Stock Mutual Fund/ Unit Trust Gold/Silver/ Precious Metals 43 41 41 Males tend to have a greater focus on stock investments than females across all regions except in North America, where women are the stronger stock investors. The North American gender split for stocks is 65 percent male and 71 percent female. Foreign Currency Bond Structured Investment Products Derivatives Other 13 13 27 27 24 Foreign Currency Bond Structured Investment Products Derivatives Other 10 15 21 34 31 Asia-Pacific consumers tend to have a higher risk tolerance level as compared to respondents in the other regions. More than half (57%) could accept fluctuations greater than 10 percent vs. 45 percent in Europe, 41 percent in Middle East/Africa, 38 percent in Latin America and 50 percent in North America. Asia-Pacific consumers also allocate more of their monthly budget on wealth accumulation and have a more diversified investment product portfolio (2.9 products), as compared with consumers from other regions; Europe: 1.9, Middle East/Africa: 2.4, Latin America: 1.9, North America: 2.4. Stock Mutual Fund/ Unit Trust Gold/Silver/ Precious Metals Foreign Currency Bond Structured Investment Products Derivatives Other 8 14 12 20 30 29 57 67 Copyright 2012 The Nielsen Company. 4

Self reliance trumps other information sources Matters of finance are personal business and respondents around the world rely more on themselves when it comes to making investment decisions than they do any other information source. Roughly half of respondents in every region say they do not trust anyone else with decisions regarding personal finance and wealth matters. Middle Easterners and Europeans are the most self-reliant with 55 percent and 54 percent, respectively, staying in control. Using a financial planner is preferred by one-in-five global respondents, with North Americans (23%) and Asians (21%) the most reliant on professional advice. Middle Easterners and Latin Americans would rather consult with friends, relatives and colleagues than seek monetary guidance outside their inner circle. Respondents in these regions report the lowest incidence of using a financial planner at 12 percent and 16 percent, respectively. North Americans and Europeans are the least likely to seek advice from friends, relatives and colleagues at 16 percent and 17 percent, respectively, while roughly 20 percent of respondents in Latin America (21%), Asia-Pacific (19%) and Middle East () rely on friendly word-ofmouth counsel. Women, however, are more reliant on friendly advice than men, particularly in Europe and North America, where women are 43 percent and 29 percent, respectively, more likely than men to consult with family and friends. Tips from TV, radio and Internet commentators and impulse investment decision making are the least favored information sources when it comes to money matters. Which best describes your decisions on personal finance or wealth matters? I rely on myself only and I don t trust anybody else I rely on my financial planner and adviser in my personal finance decision I rely on the investment tips from commentators, experts or spokesperson on TV/radio/Internet I rely on my friends, relatives and colleagues for advice on personal finance matters I usually make my investment decision on an impulse basis without a good knowledge about personal finance issues 4% 4% 5% 19% 17% 47% 9% 54% 8% 55% MIDDLE EAST/ AFRICA 21% 17% 12% 5% 3% 4% 21% 43% 51% 6% 49% GLOBAL AVERAGE 9% 15% 23% 5 Copyright 2012 The Nielsen Company.

Men like risk; women are more cautious Males are generally more aggressive than women in their investment attitude. They are more aggressive in wealth acceleration and have a greater risk appetite in their investment strategies. One-quarter of males in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Middle East regions are willing to accept a 15 20 percent loss in their investment decisions. Perhaps due to the rise in working females who are affluent and financially independent in the Asia-Pacific region, their risk appetite is at parity with males in their investment decisions and are willing to accept considerable investment volatility (+/- 15% or above). The gender disparity in the other regions is more obvious. Overall, respondents in the Middle East and Latin America are most conservative with investments decisions. One-third of Middle Easterners and one-fourth of Latin Americans say they would be very concerned about any volatility. I can accept considerable investment volatility (+/- 15% or above) MIDDLE EAST/ AFRICA TOTAL 25 TOTAL 24 TOTAL 23 24 25 26 27 22 14 TOTAL 16 TOTAL 17 18 12 18 15 Which best describes your perception on investment risk? I would be very concerned about any volatility and will not accept any potential loss of principal I am conservative, but can accept some minor fluctuations in my portfolio's value (+/-5%) I have a moderate investment attitude and accept that the potential for higher returns means accepting fluctuations in my portfoloio's value and possible loss (+/-) My main goal is long-term capital appreciation, I can accept considerable investment volatility (+/-15%) I want my investments to grow and earn the highest possible return. I can accept posible loss of (+/-) GLOBAL AVERAGE 7% 19% 17% 28% 29% MIDDLE EAST/ AFRICA 17% 7% 22% 9% 15% 33% 13% 26% 9% 7% 4% 13% 22% 26% 31% 33% 26% 36% 34% 33% Copyright 2012 The Nielsen Company. 6

Aging and emotional vs. rational banking The common belief is that the older you are, the more informed and rational you become especially when it comes to financial volatility and investment decisions. However, Nielsen s survey findings reveal differences in the demographic profile of investors in different regions, where a noteworthy share of investor consumers are found among older consumers in North America, Europe and Latin America. In all regions, the core investor groups are mid-lifers or those between the ages of 30 and 39. These consumers are moving toward a critical life stage where they are getting married and having children. Due to greater family obligations and higher financial resources, mid-lifers tend to have greater investment needs than the other age groups. The Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern markets present the youngest profile of investor consumers where nearly four-in-ten (37% and 39%, respectively) respondents are between the ages of 21 and 29. Comparatively, the wealth of the North American population seems to be staying with the more mature groups as 42 percent of investors are aged 50 and over. Older consumers typically have less family obligations and may have more financial resources to invest. Investors in Asia-Pacific and Middle East/Africa are relatively younger than North Americans AGE MIDDLE EAST/ AFRICA UNDER 20 8% 5% 6% 2% 5% 21-29 39% 37% 23% 30-39 25% 36% 24% 23% 40-49 14% 12% 17% 50-59 9% 6% 23% 60+ 3% 4% 19% 22% 5% 7 Copyright 2012 The Nielsen Company.

Online banking rivals physical branch banking While channel usage for investments is strongly correlated with the maturity of markets, online banking is marginally ahead of the physical branch as a vibrant channel for conducting investment transactions. More respondents in Asia- Pacific and North America who conducted investment transactions in the last three months say they used online banking as a preferred channel choice. In Asia-Pacific, 79 percent of online respondents indicate they used online banking for investment transactions, compared to 73 percent who traveled to a physical branch. Likewise, in North America, 55 percent say they used online banking, compared to 48 percent who made a trip to the bank. Additionally, more than one-quarter (26%) of global respondents use the services of online investment brokers or service providers. With equity being a core component of consumers investment portfolio and the progression of technologies, the online channel has become an important channel for gaining up-to-date information and making swift investment decisions, particularly in Asia-Pacific. Although some concerns may exist about security, consumers are seeking information through their mobile platforms for their investment decisions. The adoption of the mobile platform is greater amongst the younger age groups. As the level of smartphone penetration accelerates, the mobile platform usage for banking business is expected to grow accordingly. The mobile platform is becoming a vital tool for making swift investment decisions and transactions and capturing different investment opportunities on-the-go. Percent of channels used for investment transactions in the last three months Online 79 Online 59 Online 58 Physical Bank 73 Physical Bank 60 Physical Bank 84 Mobile Phone 36 Mobile Phone 16 Mobile Phone 25 Phone (call center) 32 Phone (call center) 18 Phone (call center) 32 Online Investment Broker 28 Online Investment Broker 12 Online Investment Broker 11 Financial Planner 21 Financial Planner 17 Financial Planner 15 MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA Online 55 Online 55 Physical Bank 67 Physical Bank 48 Mobile Phone 36 Mobile Phone 19 Phone (call center) 35 Phone (call center) 28 Online Investment Broker 26 Online Investment Broker 31 Financial Planner 19 Financial Planner 34 Copyright 2012 The Nielsen Company. 8

Cash is king, but payments via plastics are catching on Cash is king when it comes to how consumers around the world prefer to pay for general shopping, dining, traveling or entertainment expenses, but more than half of global respondents indicate they use credit cards and 43 percent use debit cards as a common payment method. Global usage of electronic wallets and checks are lowest at 15 percent and 10 percent, respectively. While the usage of cash is very much ingrained in many cultures around the world where payment for goods and services either personal or business is immediate, as wealth accelerates for consumers in emerging markets and the availability of payment terminals increase, we will see a greater level of acceptance of electronic payment methods over cash. Respondents in Asia-Pacific are more receptive to using credit cards (59%) compared to other regions, and North Americans showed the highest propensity to use debit cards (63%). Middle Easterners are the least receptive to using either credit (29%) or debit (26%) cards as a preferred payment source. Credit card usage is particularly high in some mature Asia-Pacific markets like Hong Kong (76%) and Singapore (62%). But while consumers in these mature markets have a high credit card usage, most treat credit cards as a cashless payment tool for convenience and repay the debts in full every month. What is your repayment behavior across all credit cards in the last three months? 75% 60% 2% 1% 7% 11% 1% 14% 15% 65% 53% MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA GLOBALLY 9% 1% 15% 14% 6% MIDDLE EAST /AFRICA 54% 68% GLOBAL AVERAGE Repay all my credit cards in full each month Repay some of the credit cards in full each month Repay only the minimum required each month Repay less than the minimum requirement each month Repay more than the minimum requirement each month 3% 1% 6% MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA 21% 15% Top 10 Credit Card Using Markets 1. Israel 84% 2. Hong Kong 76% 3. France 75% 4. Turkey 75% 5. China 70% 6. South Korea 70% 7. Japan 64% 8. Singapore 62% 9. Argentina 61% 10. Croatia 60% Top 10 Repay In Full Each Month 1. Taiwan 89% 2. Austria 88% 3. Japan 87% 4. South Korea 85% 5. Hong Kong 84% 6. Denmark 81% 7. Singapore 80% 8. Germany 78% 9. France 78% 10. Netherlands 78% Top 10 Repay Only Minimum Each Month 1. Colombia 51% 2. South Africa 28% 3. Hungary 26% 4. Poland 26% 5. Egypt 26% 6. Ukraine 25% 7. Thailand 24% 8. Vietnam 24% 9. Venezuela 24% 10. Saudi Arabia 23% 9 Copyright 2012 The Nielsen Company.

Countries in this study Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada China Chile Colombia Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Egypt Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Pakistan Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Ukraine United States Venezuela Vietnam About the Nielsen Global Survey The Nielsen Global Survey of Financial Status was conducted February 10 27, 2012 and polled more than 28,000 consumers in 56 countries throughout Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and North America. The sample has quotas based on age and sex for each country based on their Internet users, and is weighted to be representative of Internet consumers and has a maximum margin of error of ±0.6%. This Nielsen survey is based on the behavior of respondents with online access only. Internet penetration rates vary by country. Nielsen uses a minimum reporting standard of 60 percent Internet penetration or 10M online population for survey inclusion. The Nielsen Global Survey, which includes the Global Consumer Confidence Survey, was established in 2005. About Nielsen Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com. Copyright 2012 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved. Nielsen and the Nielsen logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of CZT/ACN Trademarks, L.L.C. Other product and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. 12/5171 10