North America Overtaken by Europe as the World's Richest Region, as Equity-
Heavy U.S. Investors Are Hit With Steep Losses, Says Report by The Boston 
Consulting Group

http://quotes.stocknod.com/stocknod/?GUID=10077248&Page=MediaViewer&C

<quote>
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 09/15/09 -- The crisis is transforming the 
global map of the world's wealthiest people, with Europe nudging out North 
America as the richest region, according to a new report by The Boston 
Consulting Group (BCG). The report, titled "Delivering on the Client 
Promise: Global Wealth 2009," is being released today.

Global wealth fell from $104.7 trillion in 2007, measured in assets under 
management (AuM), to $92.4 trillion in 2008 -- a decline of 11.7 percent. It 
was the first decline since 2001(1).

-- The steepest decline was in North America, where wealth plummeted by 21.8 
percent last year

-- In North America, the share of wealth held in equities fell from 50 
percent in 2007 to 38 percent in 2008 -- but the region still had the 
highest proportion of wealth held in equities

-- Europe had $32.7 trillion in AuM, down 5.8 percent from the previous 
year, followed by North America, with $29.3 trillion in AuM
</quote>

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