Tuesday 14 May 2013

WealthInsight Top 10 global cities for millionaires


WealthInsight Top 10 global cities for millionaires:

  • Tokyo tops the millionaire list
  • London tops the multi-millionaire list
  • New York tops the billionaire list

Which global cities contain the most US dollar millionaires?

It’s an elusive statistic that cannot be found in the public domain.

WealthInsight, a London based wealth consultancy, has changed this by releasing a comprehensive list of the top 20 cities for millionaires worldwide.

According the WealthInsight analyst Andrew Amoils:
“Tokyo tops our millionaire list and is surprisingly above New York. This is partly due to the fact that many wealthy New Yorkers live off the Island in cities such as Greenwich”

WealthInsight has also released a list of the top 20 cities for multi-millionaires (individuals with over US$30 million each) and top 20 cities for billionaires. These two lists are in the briefing attached.

This briefing also includes a case study on the top 10 countries for millionaires in 2012 and 2020.

Definitions:
·         “Multi-millionaires” otherwise known as “ultra high net worth individuals” or “UHNWIs” are individuals with net assets of US$30 million or more excluding their primary residences.
·         “Millionaires” otherwise known as “high net worth individuals” or “HNWIs” refer to individuals with net assets of US$1 million or more excluding their primary residences.
·         For the purposes of this report, the phrase “review period” relates to the years 2007–2012 and the “forecast period” relates to the years 2012–2017.

If you have any questions about this release, or would like more information, please contact us.

Best regards,

Andrew Amoils

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Obama’s million millionaires


A thousand millionaires a day. It sounds like a lot doesn't it? But this is how quickly America’s wealthy population has grown in recent years, despite the financial crash. During Obama’s first 3 years in office the US has added more than 1.1 million millionaires - an increase of 29%.

As of 2011 there are 5.1 million high net worth individuals (those with net assets of US$1 million or more, excluding primary residences) in the US, just 165,360 fewer than in 2007. Recent rises in stock markets and signs of recovery in real estate should see the number of millionaires above pre-recession levels by the end of 2012.

This doesn't fits easily with an election campaign where the incumbent president has been labelled as harmful to wealth creation and his challenger, Mitt Romney, has Wall Street banks as his top five donors. It also raises the question: which of the presidential candidates would be better for wealth creation in the US?



 

The recovery of the US economy post-recession continues to be tepid as debt de-leveraging continues. The IMF forecasts growth of 2% for 2012, improving slightly to 2.3% in 2013. The performance of the economy is unlikely to be significantly improved whoever is elected, but it could be worse.

Ongoing political gridlock is blocking an agreement on fiscal policy. If a compromise is not reached before January 1 2013, the “fiscal cliff” would automatically follow: a combination of increased taxes and decreased government spending equivalent to tightening of about 4% of GDP. This would likely trigger a return to recession in 2013 and a decline in the HNWI population of about 6% for the year.

On policy, President Obama favours a combination of tax rises aimed at the wealthy and medium term fiscal consolidation; his challenger is more inclined towards immediate tax and spending cuts to stimulate investment activity. While Republican policies are more beneficial to the wealthy at face-value, their fiscal proposals have so far lacked credibility, ranging from improbable to dangerous, depending on your viewpoint. 

Sidestepping the fiscal cliff will require whoever is elected President to negotiate with a House controlled by Republicans and a Senate with a narrow majority of Democrats or Republicans. It is not entirely clear how either candidate would overcome the impasse, or how policies might be altered post-election.

Monetary policy and the role of the US Federal Reserve might offer a clearer contrast between the candidates impact on wealth. Since the onset of the financial crisis, the Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has aggressively pursued an expansionary monetary policy, and controversially, successive rounds of quantitative easing (QE).

The aim of QE, an unconventional form of monetary policy, is to stimulate economic activity by pushing up asset prices. US stocks are up 12% this year and by more than 100% since March 2009.

With the top 5% wealthy households owning 60% of the county’s individually held financial assets, this has benefited HNWIs directly. On average, American millionaires allocated over a quarter of their investable assets to equities in 2011, more than compensating for lost income caused by low-interest rates on savings.

This is backed up by recent research from the Bank ofEngland which found that the value of UK shares and bonds had risen by about £600 billion as a result of QE in Britain, and that 40% of the gains went to the richest 5% of households.

Mitt Romney though, has voiced disapproval of Chairman Bernanke, and publicly opposed the QE programme as inflationary. Bernanke's second term expires in January 2014 and it is thought that Romney, if elected, would seek more hawkish appointments to the central bank. This move could hurt equities if the Fed’s ultra-accommodative stance changes dramatically (though any move towards more hawkish policy is likely to be gradual).

A second term for President Obama should see monetary policy consistency, and could, ultimately, be better for America' millionaires.

Thursday 13 September 2012

Super rich: Top 20 Cities for UK multi-millionaires


According to WealthInsight research, there are just over 10,100 multi-millionaires in the UK (each with net assets of over US$30 million). These individuals have a combined wealth of US$1,113 billion. London is home to over 40% of these or 4,220 multi-millionaires, which is greater than the whole of France (3,800 multi-millionaires).

Manchester has the highest number of multi-millionaires (170 multi-millionaires) outside of London followed by Glasgow (158 multi-millionaires), Edinburgh (134 multi-millionaires) and then Birmingham (130 multi-millionaires).

According to WealthInsight analyst Andrew Amoils: “Despite being the 2nd largest city in the UK by population, Birmingham has a relatively low number of multi-millionaires when compared to the likes of Manchester and Glasgow”

Among UK counties, Greater Manchester (which includes Manchester, Bolton, Wigan, and Salford) has the highest number of multi-millionaires outside of London, with 374 multi-millionaires, followed by Surrey with 230 and Hertfordshire with 206.

Definitions:
·         “Multi-millionaires” otherwise known as “ultra high net worth individuals” or “UHNWIs” are individuals with net assets of US$30 million or more excluding their primary residences.
·         “Millionaires” otherwise known as “high net worth individuals” or “HNWIs” refer to individuals with net assets of US$1 million or more excluding their primary residences.
·         For the purposes of this report, the phrase “review period” relates to the years 2007–2011 and the “forecast period” relates to the years 2011–2016.

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Australia’s multi-millionaires: Perth and Adelaide outperform the rest



According to WealthInsight research, the number of multi-millionaires in Australia increased by 11% over the four year period between 2007 and 2011, to reach 2,460 at the end of 2011. This includes 930 multi-millionaires in Sydney, 590 in Melbourne, 330 in Perth, 240 in Brisbane, 60 in Adelaide and 37 on the Gold Coast.

Adelaide experienced the strongest multi-millionaire growth among Australian cities over this period with growth of 75%, followed by Perth with 52% growth. Adelaide’s growth can be attributed to growth in a number of local industries including retail and fashion, construction and FMCG.

According to WealthInsight analyst Andrew Amoils: “the strong growth in Perth was facilitated by growth in the number of multi-millionaires who acquired their wealth from the basic materials sector, which was fuelled by a rise in commodity prices.”

Definitions:
·         “Multi-millionaires” otherwise known as “ultra high net worth individuals” or “UHNWIs” are individuals with net assets of US$30 million or more excluding their primary residences
·         “Millionaires” otherwise known as “high net worth individuals” or “HNWIs” refer to individuals with net assets of US$1 million or more excluding their primary residences
·         For the purposes of this report, the phrase “review period” relates to the years 2007–2011 and the “forecast period” relates to the years 2011–2016.

Thursday 30 August 2012

Rich Suburbs: Sandhurst has the most multi-millionaires in South Africa


This press release is part of WealthInsight’s report on South Africa, entitled: South Africa – The Future of HNWIs to 2016: The Rise of African Wealth. http://timetric.com/research/report/WI0053MR/


Press release:

Rich Suburbs: Sandhurst has the most multi-millionaires in South Africa
Sandhurst in Sandton, is home to over 30 South African multi-millionaires, more than any other suburb in the country. It also has the highest multi-millionaire population density in the country, with one on every 20 residences being owned by a multi-millionaire, according to new research from WealthInsight.

“A combination of large plots, safety and location make Sandhurst the top suburb in South Africa for the ultra rich” according to WealthInsight analyst Andrew Amoils.

WealthInsight research also shows that:
  • South Africa has the highest number of millionaires in Africa. As of 2011, there were just over 44,700 millionaires in the country, with a combined wealth of US$188 billion, accounting for roughly 25% of South Africa’s total individual wealth (US$740 billion).
  • Included in this total are 543 multi-millionaires, each with wealth of over US$30 million. Johannesburg is home to the largest portion of these individuals (48% or 261 multi-millionaires). There are also sizable South African multi-millionaire populations in Cape Town (103 multi-millionaires), Durban (31 multi-millionaires) and Pretoria (28 multi-millionaires).

Definitions:
·         “Multi-millionaires” otherwise known as “ultra high net worth individuals” or “UHNWIs” are individuals with net assets of US$30 million or more excluding their primary residences
·         “Millionaires” otherwise known as “high net worth individuals” or “HNWIs” refer to individuals with net assets of US$1 million or more excluding their primary residences
·         For the purposes of this report, the phrase “review period” relates to the years 2007–2011 and the “forecast period” relates to the years 2011–2016.