Markets

Newton’s Nick Clay has accused governments of trying to ease their debt burdens through inflation rather than dealing with the fundamental problems.

Stefan Isaacs, manager of the £1.4 billion M&G High Yield Corporate Bond fund, has acknowledged that the high-yield party cannot last forever but argued that the music can keep playing for a while yet.

Nearly 60 per cent of UK investors think Asia Pacific offers strong growth prospects, but just 15 per cent say they will actually invest their money in the region, according to a report by Schroders.

A reversal of the stockmarket rally is less of a risk than huge losses in bonds, according to a senior analyst.

Strategic Equity Capital, a specialist UK small-cap fund, has forecast a pick-up in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) over the next few months.

Edward Lam, manager of the consistently top-decile Somerset Emerging Markets Dividend Growth fund, has argued that a dangerous bubble is forming in supposedly safer emerging-market stocks.

The US stock market reached fresh all-time highs yesterday in a rally driven by defensive sectors and dividend-paying stocks.

The confirmation that Turkey is to proceed with its nuclear power programme has been highlighted by an analyst as evidence that uranium prices could begin to recover from their long depression.

The European Central Bank's (ECB) decision to cut its base interest rate to 0.5 per cent will make little difference on the ground, according to a number of analysts.

Tom Bartlam, chairman of the Miton Income Opportunities Trust, has argued that the small-cap FTSE Fledgling index is fated to lag both the All Share and SmallCap indices.

Anthony Nutt, who manages almost £600 million across two funds at Jupiter, has likened monetary stimulus to a ‘game of chicken’.

The manager of the £750 million Temple Bar fund has cautioned against relying solely on central banks to keep equity markets rallying.

Selling shares in May and buying back into the stock market in September could be a big mistake, according to a global equity strategist at Coutts private bank.

Investment professionals have claimed that stronger than expected UK GDP growth of 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 should be viewed with caution.

Legal & General Investment Management has expressed alarm at the continued lack of economic growth despite the concerted efforts of central banks to provide stimulus through quantitative easing.