With technology evolving at an accelerating pace, investors are focusing on the opportunities presented by a wide array of technological themes, according to the third annual survey of affluent investors by Global X. The New York-based provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), found in its survey that 27% of respondents believe that renewable energies presents the biggest investment opportunity when compared to other disruptive technologies. Robotics and artificial intelligence came second in the minds of investors at 23%, followed by e-commerce (12%), and the Internet of Things (11%).
When it comes to perception of performance, attitudes shifted slightly. Forty-nine percent of investors believe that renewable energy technologies will outperform the market in the coming decade, but smart home devices came first, with 55% of investors confident in their performance potential. Despite investors' optimism around renewable energy and smart home devices, the most commonly invested-in themes currently are mobile banking and social media. Mobile banking ranked first as the disruptive technology that investors had the most exposure to, with 39% reporting some investment in the space. Forty-eight percent of investors believe that firms involved in mobile banking would outperform the market.
"Investors are increasingly distinguishing between having broad technology exposure and gaining access to more specific emerging technological trends," said Jay Jacobs, Senior Vice President, Head of Research & Strategy at Global X. "As new technologies continue to reshape entire segments of the global economy, it's becoming more and more important to differentiate between these exposures in investors' portfolios."
About Global X
Seeking to provide access to high-quality and cost-efficient investment solutions, Global X is a New York-based sponsor of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Founded in 2008, we are distinguished by our smart core, income, alpha, risk management and access suites of ETFs and have more than 50 funds available across U.S. and foreign exchanges. Global X is recognized as a leader in developing intelligent investment solutions for our clients.