U.S. investors have just 11 percent, on average, of their income-producing assets invested internationally, according to a survey conducted by Legg Mason.
Sixty four percent of respondents said that “global uncertainty” was the major barrier to international investing for income, followed by “too much risk” (50 percent), “currency risk” (45 percent) and “not enough transparency” (44 percent).
Almost two-thirds (60 percent) of investors said they would be open to considering international for equities and 53 percent said for fixed income.
Investors inclined to consider international markets are most likely to look for equity or fixed-income opportunities first in the United Kingdom and Japan, followed by Brazil, China, and other emerging-market countries. They are least likely to consider Russia, according to Legg Mason.