As markets and portfolio managers in many parts of the world prepare to wind down for the festive season, UK headlines have been gripped by one topic – tumbling unemployment figures. The question is: who is about to make big portfolio moves in late December?
Its that time of year when we turn to the big brains behind Portfolio Advisers investment panel and see where theyre planning to place their bets next year.
In its 2014 investment outlook fresh off the printing press this morning, Coutts has captured the three strategies that investors should consider when building a portfolio for the New Year.
Charles Stanley Directs Rob Morgan has said the case for gold still exists despite the miserable performance of gold mining equities and a declining bullion price.
Ireland will officially become the first eurozone country to exit the bailout programme this weekend, as the 85bn (£71bn) loan facility set up by the troika of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB) expires.
The textbook view of markets comprising either defensive or cyclical stocks has been turned upside down due to current valuations, in the view of Rob Morgan, pension and investments analyst at Charles Stanley Direct.
Barclays Wealth and Investment Management believes a stock market setback is long overdue and has been adding further to its cash positions.
Albert Edwards, strategist at Societe Generale, continues to believe in his Ice Age thesis [a period of low inflation and near deflation], and argues investors should be moving to an overweight position in bonds.
Schroders Joanna Shatney said the biggest threat facing her next year was that of an external monetary policy mistake, with the proximity and importance of the election in Q3 likely to dampen the threat of any domestic political manoeuvring.
The UK is poised to sit among the fastest growing economies of the developed markets in 2014, according to Investec Wealth & Investment.
Chelsea Financial Services Darius McDermott has said capital preservation and diversification will be crucial for weathering the unknown quantities of next year and with no clear winners set to emerge, it was time to reconsider absolute return funds.
Investors in Indian property are in for a tougher time next year as rising interest rates take hold of the asset class, according to a recent research note from Citi.
