New Delhi: Wealthy and affluent US investors in search for better returns outside the US prefer China to India; while China has emerged as the most appealing overseas destination for the affluent American investors, India could find a place only at the fourth position.

According to a new study released today, two out of every five affluent households in the US expect to invest or continue investing in overseas markets, the study reports.

In the survey carried out by the US-based strategic consulting firm, Spectrem Group, that focuses on affluent markets, 31 per cent of the respondents or close to one-third, said they had increased their foreign investments from the past, while a similar proportion is planning to increase its overseas investment in the future.

Affluent households, defined as having more than $5 lakh of investable assets, named India as the fourth most appealing market on their global investment radar, after China, Europe and Japan.

When asked which countries or areas appealed to them the most for investment purposes,

Of the total affluent households surveyed, 30 per cent named China as their most preferred destination (30 per cent), followed by 20 per cent opting for Europe, 12 per cent for Japan and 11 per cent for India.

According to the survey, parking the money in international markets has emerged as a more popular option than other well-known alternative investment avenues like hedge funds, venture capital, private placements and real estate investment trusts, also referred to as REITs.