Millionaires, Affluent Investors Return to Bearish Territory

Spectrem Group’s Millionaire Investor Index rose 8 points in March, returning to a mildly bearish stance.

According to a news release, the rise follows a 13-point decline in February, bringing the index off a near-record low of -34. Likewise, the Spectrem Affluent Investor index, which measures the outlook of households with $500,000 or more in investable assets, rose 8 points to 30—also mildly bearish territory. That follows a 10-point decline the prior month.

“Millionaires and the affluent showed a bit more optimism in March,” said George Walper, president of Spectrem Group, in the release. He cited the stock market’s improvement together with low energy prices and some good news on home construction as reasons for the improved outlook. “However it’s too early to know whether investment optimism is truly stabilizing for the nation’s wealthiest investors,” he said.

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When asked an open-ended question about the most serious threat to achieving their financial goals, the largest number of affluent investors and millionaires cited the economy (27% and 28%, respectively), followed by market conditions (16% and 14%).

Buffalo Manufacturer Suspends 401(k) Match

A Buffalo, New York-area building products and steel processing firm has suspended its 401(k) match because of a slumping business climate driven by slowdowns in the housing and auto sectors.

A Buffalo News report said Gibraltar Industries informed employees that it will discontinue the matching contributions indefinitely on April 17.

According to the paper, the company posted the biggest quarterly loss in its 16 years as a public company during the fourth quarter and is facing further losses during the quarter that ended Tuesday. The report said the company has also made significant cuts to its headquarters staff, suspended its $0.20 per share annual dividend to save $6 million, and cut its capital spending plans.

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“While this has not been an easy decision for the company to make, it is a necessary business decision in light of the current economic environment,” the company said in a memo to employees, according to the newspaper.

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