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Investors are demonstrating growing belief in a robust global recovery and have painted a picture of an ideal investment environment, according to the BofA Merrill Lynch Survey of Fund Managers for April.

Despite some indicators that an economic recovery is underway, most Americans are still trying to cut expenses, according to a recent survey conducted for M&T Bank. Reducing debt and increasing savings were the two other most reported financial behaviors among respondents.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is publishing its fourth Report on Financial Integration in Europe, which notes the return towards integration in the European financial markets. Following the financial crisis, signs of retrenchment had become evident in several market segments. But as market conditions gradually returned to normal during 2009 and especially 2010, the markets that suffered most from the crisis also began to move back to pre-crisis integration levels. However, since the functionality of European financial markets has not yet been fully restored, vigilance and the ECB’s active presence in the market are still essential.

The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index moved upward in March, following two consecutive months of decline. The Index attempts to track consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is currently 4.88 percent, down twenty basis points from 5.08 percent compared to this same time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose last week, spiking Sunday at 5.05 percent before falling to 4.88 percent Monday.

Seventy-nine percent of small businesses revealed a confident to neutral outlook for the U.S. economy over the next 12 months, according to the Small Business Attitudes & Outlook Survey conducted by Constant Contact®, Inc., a leading provider of email marketing, event marketing, and online survey tools for small organizations.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.K. increased 0.6 percent, and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) increased 0.2 percent in February.

A majority of employers that made changes to their retirement plans in response to the economic downturn expect to keep those changes in place throughout 2010. This is among the findings in a survey released by Buck Consultants.

OECD composite leading indicators (CLIs) for February 2010 continue to point to economic expansion, albeit at a different pace across countries and regions. Strongest signs of increasing economic activity were recorded in the United States and Japan, with a rise in CLI of 0.9 point in both countries.

Merger & acquisition activity in the U.S. financial services sector will gain momentum in 2010 as industry conditions continue to improve and the outlook for regulatory reform gains clarity, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers' 2010 Financial Services M&A Outlook.