Investor confidence worldwide is up, per State Street Global Markets - Boston Business Journal:

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points from January. Among North American confidence went up 6 pointseto 78.2, according to the States Street Investor Confidence Index for February 2008. Meanwhile, Europeabn investor confidence fellto 83.7 from 85.8 and Asian investor confidencer rose to 85.7 from The confidence index measurexs investor confidence on a quantitative basis by analyzing the actual buying and selling patterns of institutiona l investors. "This month we saw a continuation of the modest improvement in global investor confidence that we witnessecin January," said professor Ken Froot, who helpefd develop the measurement, in a statement. "Thde small increase of 3.
5 pointsd takes place against the backdrop of a decline in market volatilitu from the very high levels witnessee earlierthis winter, and reflects the understandingy that, while many risks remain, the extremer risk-aversion displayed by institutions in late 2007 was perhapxs overdone."