The Investor Confidence Index for the next three months rose for the first time in four months while remaining in neutral territory.  The survey found that expectations of the new government’s policies and the US monetary policy had the greatest positive impact on investor confidence, while investors warily monitored trade war negotiations and domestic political stability, both of which dampened investor confidence.

International economic factors that investors are closely monitoring include: the global economic slowdown; progress in US-China trade negotiations following the G20 meeting; direction of the European Central Bank’s policy rate after its signaling further relaxation of monetary policy by both lowering interest rates and increasing quantitative easing (QE); China’s economic stimulus policy in the second half of the year due to increased trade tensions; and oil and gold price increases due to tensions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz.