While CFA members from across the globe remain pessimistic about the prospects for capital markets in the coming year, Canadian CFA members are markedly more positive on Canada’s economic outlook, according to the CFA Institute 2012 Global Market Sentiment Survey.

The survey measures the mood of more than 2,500 CFA charterholders and members on the outlook for world capital markets and the ongoing struggles associated with the global credit crisis.

“Around the world, investors remain concerned about the prospects for market performance and ethics in 2012, and it is difficult to envision a return to strong global performance without prompt attention to restoring investor confidence,” says Kurt Schacht, managing director for market policy at CFA Institute.

“Industry participants must act to give investors reason to trust in the fairness of markets again, and regulators worldwide need to intensify efforts to deal effectively with ongoing systemic disruptions. With the exception of a few local markets, there is very little to cheer about in 2012.”

Significant Canadian highlights of the global survey include:

> Canadians see local strength, global weakness
Comparing Canadian predictions for domestic and global markets, 88% predict the local economy will expand or stay the same in 2012 while only 11% predict local economic contraction. At the same time 32% predict contraction for the wider global economy.

> Weak economic conditions seen as biggest risk to Canadian markets
Though Canadians are optimistic about the local economy, 57% of Canadian respondents cited weak economic conditions as the biggest potential risk to local capital markets in 2012.

> Equities expected to underperform other asset classes
Globally, 59% of respondents predict that asset classes other than equities will be top performers in 2012. This number was even higher among Canadian respondents, at 64%. However, U.S. respondents are more bullish, with a majority predicting global equity markets to be top performers.

> Sovereign debt crisis likely to continue
More than 75% of all respondents see no improvement in the current sovereign crisis in 2012. This sentiment was widely shared among all survey participants.

> Credit crisis leaves lasting impact
Slightly more than 50% of both Canadian and global respondents believe the impact of the crisis will last three to five more years.

> Regulatory improvements still needed to improve market integrity
Asked to identify the regulatory action most needed to improve trust in the global market, 43% of Canadian members surveyed cited improved regulation and oversight of global systemic risk, 22% identified improved enforcement of existing laws and regulations, while 12 percent cited improved transparency of financial reporting.

> Employment for investment professionals expected to remain flat
Of Canadians surveyed, 62% believe employment opportunities for investment professionals will remain the same, 11% believe opportunities will increase, and 25% see opportunities decreasing over the coming year.

The CFA Institute 2012 Global Market Sentiment Survey was created to seek input from CFA Institute members and gather feedback on market sentiment, performance and market integrity issues in the coming year. The survey was conducted online from November 2-11.