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Loss of Health Benefits Tops Anxiety Index
UTICA, N.Y. -- Small investors say they would be more likely to unload their stocks if they lost their health care benefits than if the United States suffered another major terrorist attack within its borders.The Investor Anxiety-Confidence Index by Wall $treet Week with Fortune/Zogby International, found that 51% of voters who are investors say they would change their investment strategy if they lost their health care benefits. That compares with 38% who said they would alter their investment portfolio were there another terrorist attack inside the United States.Other key events that investors say might affect their investment strategies: the announcement of a significant rise in interest rates and the Dow Jones rising by 1,000 points."While the investor next door is concerned about the world around him and her, it is the personal tragedies or opportunities that drive major investment decisions," said John Zogby, president of Zogby International. "For the most part, we found that the average investor is very conservative and deliberative. "At the same time, election results yield much less dramatic action by investors," Zogby noted. "Only 17% would take some additional risk with a hefty margin of victory by President Bush and only 12% would do the same in a Kerry victory scenario."The Wall $treet Week with Fortune/Zogby International poll is the first in a series conducted monthly from June 2 until late October to track the issues and events most likely to result in investor/voter action.Zogby International conducted interviews of 950 likely voters chosen at random nationwide. Of these likely voters, 636 own some sort of stock. All calls were made from Zogby International headquarters here from June 2 through June 5. The margin of error is +/- 3.2%. Slight weights were added to region, party, age, race, religion, sex, and who the respondent voted for president in 2000 to more accurately reflect the voting population. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest percent and might not total 100.Visit www.zogby.com "