Real estate bubble seen to threaten Asia in ’14

Although investment professionals in the Asia-Pacific are optimistic about global prospects in 2014, most are increasingly concerned about asset bubble risks in the region’s property markets, according to a survey by the CFA Institute.

Based on the 2014 global market sentiment survey conducted by CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute, an international association of investment professionals, 56 percent of them expected the global economy to expand this coming year. It represented a significant shift in sentiment from that of last year when only 32 percent of respondents held such view.

About 68 percent of respondents in the Asia-Pacific are worried about asset bubble risks in their respective markets, with 52 percent seeing it coming from the real estate sector. In the Americas, only 49 percent saw such a threat emerging.

Also, respondents see little change in the level of integrity in the global capital markets, although Asia-Pacific respondents are more optimistic about this than their counterparts in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The annual survey measured the opinion of 6,561 CFA charterholders and members globally, more than 1,000 of whom are in the Asia-Pacific.

“The number of our members who expect the global economy to expand has nearly doubled in the last two years. However this is no time for those in finance to become complacent,” said John Rogers of CFA Institute. “The survey reflects that investor trust has been eroded. We must embrace ethical behavior at all levels.”