Darwin's David Jane, JPM's Nick Gartside, MAM's Martin Gray, and Andrew Cole of Barings look at the similarities and differences between today's market and economic backdrop and the crisis that followed the Lehman collapse in 2008.

FIVE OF THE BEST

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Walker Crips is seeking regulator and unitholder approval to convert its entire fund range from unit trusts into OEICs.

RWC Partners is to launch a hedge fund for Peter Allwright and Stuart Frost to replicate the strategy of the Macro Trading Crescendo fund they previously managed at Threadneedle.

The Swiss central bank's decision to cap the franc has split investors, with Investec's currency head Thanos Papasavvas backing the move while Jim Rogers called it a "huge mistake" that could completely debase the currency.

The OECD has urged global economies, particularly Europe, to take "credible steps" to curtail debt as it said the recovery has ground to a halt.

Kames Capital is launching an absolute return fund for Stephen Snowden and Colin Finlayson, its first new offering since its rebrand from AEGON Asset Management.

Kames Capital's bond managers Stephen Snowden and Phil Milburn have warned it is too early to start buying up cheap stock as we are only 75% of the way through the European sovereign debt crisis.

Fund groups have applauded Morningstar's move to scrap its absolute return sector in favour of 18 different alternative investment categories, calling on the IMA to consider a similar move.