More than four of five expect finances to hold or improve in next six
months

WATERLOO, ON, July 2 /CNW/ - Canadians are seeing an upside to investments amid the current economic news, according to a national poll for Manulife Financial, Canada's leading insurance and wealth management company.

Nine of 10 investment categories and vehicles gained ground in a national poll in mid-June for Manulife, with six areas showing double-digit gains over the last quarterly survey in March.

"We're seeing some strong signs that Canadians are becoming more optimistic about a range of investing, after favouring safer havens over the previous six months," said Paul Rooney, President and CEO, Manulife Canada. "Canadians seem more interested in real estate, equity, and investment funds, after a stretch of gloomy economic news since late last year."

In its latest national survey of Canadians, the 42nd quarterly Manulife Investor Sentiment Index gained nine points to reach +20. That reflects a dramatic increase from December, when the index hit its lowest point in a decade, at plus five, then recovered six points in March.

Among 10 investment categories and vehicles, only cash suffered a setback in the national telephone poll of 1,003 Canadians by Research House, an Environics Company.

"We always encourage investors to work with an advisor and stick to a plan so they can stay focused on their goals, plus balance their various types of investments," Mr. Rooney added.

Manulife serves more than one in five Canadians with a wide range of financial services and products and one of our key goals is to help them make better financial decisions, he said.

Financial futures

In response to a separate question, more than four out of five surveyed (84 per cent) said they expect their finances will be the same or better in six months.

More than half (52 per cent) predict their financial health will be the same, while almost a third (32 per cent) said their finances will be better. About one in seven (14 per cent) said they expect their finances will be worse by the end of this year.

Overall index

Since its launch in 1999, the Manulife Investor Sentiment Index has remained in positive territory overall. It peaked at +35 in early 2000, but fell to +11 in December 2001. During the past several years, the index had generally remained near six-year highs, above +20. But it suffered a sharp drop last October and again in December, to hit an all-time low of +5. The latest poll reflects results last recorded before the recession.

The quarterly index monitors how Canadians say they feel about investing in 10 different categories and vehicles.