Investors are turning increasingly bullish on U.S. markets as they declare its economy in better health than major rivals from Europe to Asia, according to the Bloomberg Global Poll.
The U.S. economy is improving in the eyes of half those surveyed, compared with 18 percent who are positive about world growth. Investors have yet to embrace tentative gains in fighting Europe's debt crisis, with 48 percent identifying the euro area as one of the worst places to invest.
"The difference between the U.S. and Europe is almost night and day," said Paul Winghart, a poll respondent and senior fixed-income strategist at RBC Wealth Management in Minneapolis. "We have been recommending that investors stay within the U.S."
The quarterly poll of 1,209 investors, analysts and traders was conducted at the beginning of last week.
Americans were the most optimistic about their own markets, with 62 percent citing it as one of the best investment opportunities, up from 53 percent in December. Almost half of U.S. respondents said their economy was improving; 17 percent of euro-area residents said the same of their own.
That two-speed sentiment is reflected in what investors are betting on in the next six months. Fifty-nine percent say they expect the Standard & Poor's 500 index to be higher by the middle of the year, and 32 percent say they intend to buy more dollars. By contrast, 43 percent predict the Euro Stoxx 50 index will be lower over the same time frame and 9 percent plan to increase their exposure to the euro.
