Country selection is key

When was the last time you woke up in the middle of the night worried you had not bought enough baked beans? Or the last time you saw Unilever on the front page of a tabloid? Probably never.

Asset markets have proved unpredictable and, in some cases, highly irrational since the start of this year. As multi-asset managers, we tread a fine line, writes multi-asset manager Justin Christofel at BlackRock.

Collapsing oil prices, falling equities, over exposure to energy and global stagnation have been the narrative for high yield market bears, writes Kames Capital's Adrian Hull.

Last September, we estimated the chances of a US recession occurring in 2016 as one in three. This prediction was less bold than it sounds since recessions have occurred, on average, about once every five years in US history.

Investors have been complaining about the lack of volatility for some time now. Perhaps given the bumpy start to 2016, a few are feeling they should have been more careful what they wished for, writes Investec AM's Alastair Mundy.

We poor humble journalist types constantly struggle to explain complex stuff, but, every once in a while, someone or something comes along which brilliantly captures the inane opacity of global finance in a simple thought.

The structural forces of ageing populations, increasing debt levels, the abundance of capital and competition, and a move to protectionism by many countries creates a backdrop of low growth.

History shows oil prices bottom when the market starts to rebalance and when oil inventories stop growing; but when will this happen?

The Merchants trust's Simon Gergel explains why investing in one of the UK's biggest healthcare stocks - GlaxoSmithKline - is not as simple as many investors envisage