ICBC released the "ICBC Investment & Wealth Management Index" of 109 for the second quarter 2010, sliding 7 points from last quarter's 116. The drop shows the negative spin of the urban residents to accumulate wealth, from the range of "relatively strong" down to "medium". They seem to be more prudent when making investment.

From the three sub-indexes of "ICBC Investment & Wealth Management Index", "Macro Environment Confidence Index" scales down for two quarters in succession to 112 points, from the range of "relatively strong" to "medium", a mark of growing concern of city folks on the economy and lack of confidence to invest and accumulate wealth. "Living Expectation Index" shrinks 6 points to 121 this quarter. The shed is obvious on the future incomes and job prospects, especially in bearing the brunt of price inflation from the range of "medium" to "relatively weak". "Investment Wish Index" edges down from last quarter's 102 points to 97 this quarter, implying that the city folks start to be more cautious in putting more time and money to invest, and do not wish to place any more investment.

Study on this quarter's "ICBC Investment & Wealth Management Index" reveals that urban investors are holding more investment products in hand this quarter to 65%, from a slight downfall of 8 percentage points to 62% in 2010 first quarter. There was a small increase on the type of investment products held, from 2010 first quarter's 2.1 to this quarter's 2.2. In terms of products invested, preferences are on dividend-type insurance and gold. The proportion of holding bank investment products remains stable, but investments in stock, fund, and real estate shows downward trajectory. In the coming six months, urban dwellers will continue to invest in dividend-type insurance, real estate and gold but not so much in stocks, funds and bank investment products, while those of median-income tend to buy more funds. Meanwhile, the study also shows the same momentum of the urban dwellers as in the first quarter when investing in growth enterprises market but relatively low in taking part investment of stock index futures or margin trading.

"ICBC Investment & Wealth Management Index" is an index jointly compiled by ICBC and The Gallup Organization, a consultancy firm known throughout the world. The index measures the confidence of urban dwellers on the macro environment and investment desires with respect to living expectation. Areas of survey for compiling the index cover 16 cities of varying economic standards. These sample cities are rotated in a certain ratio in each round of index. The index, the eleventh round this quarter starting from the first in the fourth quarter 2007, serves as an authoritative and respected reference in the field today. The release of the index is also one key element of "Walk A Million Mile - Investment and Wealth Management", an charity cause that ICBC sponsors to spread the knowledge among the public and help the customers make sensible judgment in their financial planning and build harmonious life.

According to the ICBC spokesperson, ICBC will keep track to measure the investment preferences of urban dwellers and announce the result in an index. This will serve as a good reference for the development of wealth management market in the country.