First Abu Dhabi Bank, FAB, has announced the latest score of its Wealth Sentiment Index, WSI, which remained stable at 1052.78 in October, compared to 1,052.94 in September 2017.

The October score reflects a range of factors, including an increase in oil prices, a fall in inflation, which reached its lowest level since August 2016, and an increase in occupied room nights. The market factors which negatively affected the score included the fall in loan rate and the Purchasing Managers’ Index, PMI, which dipped by around 4 percent.

The Wealth Sentiment Index, the first-of-its-kind for the UAE and MENA region, was launched in partnership with research agency, IPSOS, and insurance provider, Generali, in January 2017, and established to measure the prevailing mood of affluent investors in the UAE market, from a personal and business point of view. It is an indicator of the overall sentiment of the market, based on existing fundamental and economic factors.

The index score is based on insights from a panel of industry thought leaders, who form the Wealth Sentiment Index Council, which is composed of affluent individuals and industry experts (60 percent). The research is based on three key areas: optimism within the UAE market, growth prospects in respective industries and personal investment choices. This research is combined with key market indicators, such as GDP, inflation, stock indices and commodity prices, alongside sectorial indicators including real estate, tourism and trade, which is weighted at 40 percent.