Singapore stands out as the country perceived to have had the most stable monetary policy during the past year, according to our survey of 680 investors. This is perhaps not surprising, as there have been numerous studies and books written about Singapore's small, open economy that is dedicated to growth and to attracting the right type of foreign investment.
Perhaps more telling is investors' views about the best default indicators. Like last year, credit default swap (CDS) spreads are viewed as the number one indicator, according to those polled. A year ago, at least 6.2% of our respondents also relied on the reviews of rating agencies, but this year only 4.1% said they look to the rating agencies for advice -- a telling drop.
That said, investors do think there has been enough high-quality research about the contagion effects of the European sovereign debt crisis and the possible impact of a double-dip global recession. (Now we know what not to write more about...)
And you appear optimistic that the worst is over, as more than half of the respondents say that distressed debt workouts are likely to decrease in Asia during the next 12 months.
For more results of our fixed-income poll, please see days one through four on the web and also look out for our 2010 Bond Markets Guide, which will be published as a supplement to the upcoming November issue of FinanceAsia magazine.
