The rich grew richer last year, even as the world endured the worst recession in decades. |
The rich grew richer last year, even as the world endured the worst recession in decades. A stock market rebound helped the world's ranks of millionaires climb 17 percent to 10 million, while their collective wealth surged 19 percent to $39 trillion, nearly recouping losses from the financial crisis, according to the latest Merrill Lynch-Capgemini world wealth report. Stock values rose by half, while hedge funds recovered most of their 2008 losses, in a year marked by government stimulus spending and central bank easing. "We are already seeing distinct signs of recovery and, in some areas, a complete return to 2007 levels of wealth and growth," Bank of America Corp wealth management chief Sallie Krawcheck said. The fastest growth in wealth took place in India, China and Brazil, some of the hardest hit markets in 2008. Wealth in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific soared to record highs. Asia's millionaire ranks rose to 3 million, matching Europe for the first time, paced by a 4.5 percent economic expansion. Asian millionaires' combined wealth surged 31 percent to $9.7 trillion, surpassing Europe's $9.5 trillion. In North America, the ranks of the rich rose 17 percent and their wealth grew 18 percent to $10.7 trillion. The United States was home to the most millionaires in 2009 -- 2.87 million -- followed by Japan with 1.65 million, Germany with 861,000, and China with 477,000. Switzerland had the highest concentration of millionaires: nearly 35 for every 1,000 adults. Yet as portfolios bounced back, investors remained wary after a collapse that erased a decade of stock gains, fueled a contraction in the global economy and sent unemployment soaring. The report, based on surveys with more than 1,100 wealthy investors with 23 firms, found that the rich were well served by holding a broad range of investments, including commodities and real estate. (Read by Lee Hannon. Lee Hannon is a journalist at the China Daily Web site.) (Agencies) |
盡管全球經(jīng)歷了幾十年來最嚴(yán)重的經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退,但去年富人們的財(cái)富仍出現(xiàn)了增長。 據(jù)美林-凱捷最新發(fā)布的世界財(cái)富報(bào)告,在股市反彈的推動(dòng)下,去年全球的百萬富翁數(shù)量增加了17%,達(dá)到1000萬人,他們的財(cái)富總量增長了19%,達(dá)到39萬億美元,基本上收回了在金融危機(jī)中所受的損失。 去年,由于多國政府實(shí)行經(jīng)濟(jì)刺激計(jì)劃,中央銀行放寬貨幣政策,全球股票價(jià)值上升了一半,對沖基金也收回了在2008年的大部分損失。 美國銀行財(cái)富管理業(yè)務(wù)主管薩利?克勞切克說:“我們已經(jīng)看到明顯的復(fù)蘇跡象,部分地區(qū)的財(cái)富和經(jīng)濟(jì)增長已經(jīng)完全恢復(fù)到了2007年的水平?!?/p> 其中,印度、中國和巴西是全球財(cái)富增長最快的地區(qū),這幾個(gè)國家同時(shí)也是2008年遭受金融危機(jī)沖擊最為嚴(yán)重的市場。拉丁美洲和亞太地區(qū)的財(cái)富總量暴漲,創(chuàng)歷史新高。 去年亞洲的富翁數(shù)量增至300萬,首次與歐洲持平,該地區(qū)的經(jīng)濟(jì)增幅達(dá)到4.5%。 去年,亞洲富翁的財(cái)富總量增長了31%,達(dá)到9.7萬億美元,超過了歐洲的9.5萬億美元。 北美地區(qū)的富翁數(shù)量增加了17%,財(cái)富總量增長18%,達(dá)到10.7萬億美元。 美國是去年富翁數(shù)量最多的國家,達(dá)到287萬;其次是日本,達(dá)165萬人;德國為86.1萬;中國為47.7萬。 瑞士則是富翁密度最高的國家,每1000個(gè)成年人中就有近35個(gè)富翁。 然而盡管股市反彈,剛經(jīng)歷了金融風(fēng)暴的投資者們?nèi)匀惠^為謹(jǐn)慎。這場金融危機(jī)讓十年的股票收益化為烏有,導(dǎo)致全球經(jīng)濟(jì)萎縮、失業(yè)率高漲。 這一報(bào)告基于對23個(gè)企業(yè)的1100多名富翁投資者開展的多項(xiàng)調(diào)查。調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn),富人們通過多領(lǐng)域的投資獲得較高收益,其中包括商品和房地產(chǎn)等。 相關(guān)閱讀 (中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 陳丹妮 編輯蔡姍姍) |
Vocabulary: recoup: to get back an amount of money that you have spent or lost 收回(成本);彌補(bǔ)(虧損) hedge fund: an investment fund that invests large amounts of money using methods that involve a lot of risk 對沖基金 portfolio: a list of the financial assets held by an individual or a bank or other financial institution 有價(jià)證券,投資組合 |