F&C's Niven: 'Investors are going to have to work harder to find attractive growth'

F&C’s Niven: ‘Investors are going to have to work harder to find attractive growth’

From question marks over central bank policies, to a shift in dynamics for emerging markets, Paul Niven (left), manager of the Foreign & Colonial investment trust, analyses the headwinds that are making it harder for investors to find growth.

Six years on from the global financial crisis, and more than five years into the current bull market, the theme of central bank policy action remains overwhelming. It is too simplistic to argue liquidity simply trumps fundamentals, as underlying economies are improving and corporate profits are growing. However, investors will need to acclimatise themselves to a changing, and not necessarily more favourable, backdrop in the coming years. Rising asset prices are likely in 2015, but so too is rising volatility. Growth challenges Adding to the structural growth challenges is the fact i...