LONDON, June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A survey of affluent investors' relationships with their online trading and advisory firms in the UK, France and Germany revealed significant differences between the markets that should shape how firms interact with clients and tailor their services.

The Dow Jones European Affluent Investor Study was designed to give advisory and online firms insight into the requirements and habits of affluent investors and traders. This type of information is particularly valuable against the backdrop of the Euro-zone crisis which has heightened the financial concerns of investors and traders.  Dow Jones' study was conducted in January 2012.

The study found:

• Online investment firms are widely used in Germany but not the UK or France.
• Germans' preference for online firms may be a product of their confidence in their knowledge of the financial markets.
• Investors in all countries find educational information from advisors valuable.
• Tax strategies and diversifying investments are two topics advisory clients in all three countries most want advice on from their advisors.
• Advisors have strong relationships with clients in the UK and Germany, but less so with French investors.

For additional information, supporting statistics, and graphics, visit http://www.dowjones.com/pressroom/releases/2012/06132012-EUStudy-0042.asp.

"From a combination of our own proprietary research and Dow Jones' survey, we see that investors are hungry for information and a firm's ability to provide knowledge, insight, and news about specific products and investments is one of the most important factors in developing positive relationships with clients and growing their customer base," Isabella Fonseca, research director at Celent, a research and advisory firm.

The study was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 1,127 randomly selected investors aged at least 25 years and with a minimum of pounds Sterling/euro 50,000 in assets available for investment excluding retirement plan contributions.

For information about Dow Jones solutions for wealth managers, visit http://www.dowjones.com/pr/onlinetrading.

About Dow Jones
Dow Jones & Company is a global provider of news and business information and a developer of technology to deliver content to consumers and organizations across multiple platforms. Dow Jones produces newspapers, newswires, Web sites, apps, newsletters, magazines, proprietary databases, conferences, radio and video. Its premier brands include The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, Factiva, Barron's, MarketWatch, SmartMoney and All Things D. Its information services combine technology with news and data to support business decision making. The company pioneered the first successful paid online news site and its industry leading innovation enables it to serve customers wherever they may be, via the Web, mobile devices and tablets. The Dow Jones Local Media Group publishes community newspapers, Web sites and other products in six U.S. states. Dow Jones & Company (www.dowjones.com) is a News Corporation company (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV; www.newscorp.com).

SOURCE Dow Jones & Company