Survey reveals that 38% of European retail investors prefer investing in Europe, while only 14% choose the United States

ING Chief Economist Marieke Blom stated that although European retail investors are pessimistic about the region's economic outlook, they still prefer to invest domestically. ING's survey of European consumers found that 38% of respondents prefer to invest in Europe, while only 14% prefer to invest in the United States. Blom said that despite a lot of negative sentiment surrounding Europe's economic prospects, a large portion of Europeans are still more willing to put their money into the local market. She noted that more capital flowing into European stock markets will help support the region's equity valuations and attract funding to private enterprises. The pan-European STOXX 600 Index has risen 9.6% so far this year, while the S&P 500 Index has gained nearly 13%.