Australia ranked as attractive for investors 3 September 2010 The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index has ranked Australia as the third most attractive location in the world, after the United States and Canada, for primary and retail investors. Australia has also climbed from eleventh to seventh place as a favoured destination for foreign direct investment. The FDI Confidence Index was recently released by the Global Business Policy Council run by international management consultants, AT Kearney. Global executives are surveyed annually to see how they rate risks and opportunities in markets around the world, and to give an insight into the prospects for international investment flows. The influence of economic, political and regulatory changes on foreign direct investment is also considered. AT Kearney said that most developed economies rose in ranking as international investors looked for safety. Half the companies surveyed reported that they were postponing investments because of market uncertainty and difficulties in obtaining credit. Companies participating in the survey account for more than $2 trillion in annual global revenue. More information |