Nearly Half (44%) of Canadian Financial Advisors See Zero Economic Growth in Canada for Second Half 2013

Toronto, ON - Many financial advisors in Canada aren't overly optimistic about the Canadian economy in the last half of 2013, but do appear positive about capital markets around the world heading into 2014, according to a new Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of Sun Life Financial.

Nearly half (44%) of Canadian financial advisors see no change to Canada's GDP on the last day of 2013 compared to its current levels, while a similar proportion (44%) expect it to increase. One in ten (10%), however, are forecasting that Canada's economy will contract between now and the end of year.

While advisors are split on whether Canada will see positive growth in the country's economy, they have a much brighter outlook when looking at the world's capital markets. Majority (54%) are `bullish' (16% very/39% somewhat) about capital markets between now and the end of the year, compared to just two in ten (21%) who are `bearish' (6% very/14% somewhat) towards them. One in four (24%) are `neutral' on changes the worldwide capital markets, while 1% aren't sure.

Other Findings

• Four in ten (38%) believe the S&P/TSX Composite Index will be flat by the end of the year, while a similar proportion (39%) have a `bullish' (7% very/32% somewhat) attitude towards the index and nearly one in four (22%) are `bearish' (4% very/18% somewhat) towards it. Just 1 % of Canadian financial advisors aren't sure about their attitudes toward the index
• Six in ten (62%) are `bearish' (24% very/38% somewhat) towards Canadian government bonds, compared to just one in ten (10%) who are `bullish' (2% very/8% somewhat), one in four (25%) who are `neutral', and 3% who aren't sure
• A similar six in ten (64%) are `bullish' (33% very/31% somewhat) towards U.S. government bonds, while one in ten (10%) are `bearish' (4% very/7% somewhat), two in ten (21%) are neutral on these bonds, and 5% aren't sure

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid survey conducted between April 5th to May 22nd, 2013, on behalf of Sun Life Financial. For this survey, a sample of 345 Canadian financial advisors was interviewed online. The survey participants represent a cross-section of the Canadian financial services industry including affiliated and independent financial advisors. Just over half (53%) of the survey respondents are members of the Mutual Fund Dealers Association (MFDA) and just under half (44%) are members of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC). The remainder are members of both. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 6 percentage points had all Canadians financial advisors meeting this meeting this criteria were surveyed. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Associate Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.572.4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world's third largest market research company.

With offices in 85 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,789 billion (2.300 billion USD) in 2012.

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.