Valuations in Asia-Pacific ex Japan areas are attractive relative to global peers currently, as most of the economies in the region are beneficiaries of lower oil and commodity prices, being net importers.

Looking at recent headlines, many investors may be discouraged from investing in Japan, but Richard Aston, manager of the CC Japan Income & Growth trust, says investors should look more closely at the wider fundmentals before making a decision about investing....

I have been known to write the odd column for other publications, not least the pink one, where last weekend I was holding forth on the subject of smart beta and why retail investors in particular need to tread carefully.

Lombard Odier IM's Kevin Corrigan explores opportunities in the 'crossover' credit zone - a lesser-loved group of corporate bonds rated BBB and BB - which sit either side of the divide between investment grade and high yield bonds.

We bond investors are often characterised as a gloomy bunch, fretting over inflation and keeping an anxious eye on central banks. That is, of course, a gross simplification, James Foster, co-manager of the Artemis Monthly Distribution fund.

Driven by global trends and risks

The jury is out on emerging markets right now, and investor sentiment is as volatile as the countries and regions themselves argues Spike Hughes, CEO of Cohesion Investments

The UK may have one of the highest dividend yields globally with the spread above bonds near record highs, but Blake Hutchins, portfolio manager on the Investec UK Quality Equity Income fund, asks if this could soon be under threat.

The FTSE All-Share index is off some 18% from its high in April 2015 at the time of writing, yet having called the top of the market successfully the key question to answer is when do we want to start to invest our high levels of cash?

Stronger growth in industrialised economies