Equities

NORTH AMERICA

Sarasin managing partner Guy Monson has been orientating to take advantage of the weakening euro in his global multi-asset fund.

The manager of the Finsbury Worldwide Pharmaceutical trust believes companies manufacturing generic medicines will continue to outperform the pharma giants.

EUROPE

Multi-asset manager John Husselbee warns disappointing GDP figures from the US could trigger a dip in equity markets and says he will once again be turning to hedging techniques to protect his portfolios.

Economic sentiment in Germany slid last week following signs the recovery is slowing, according to the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim.

PSigma's James Abate says the US market has hit its trough and will not slump further this year, but is likely to see a "huge rally" in the reporting season.

Boutique manager RWC Partners is to launch a Ucits III pan-European equity fund next month as the group continues its push into the retail market.

Fears Hungary will be the next European country to suffer a debt crisis are unfounded, and simply based on "political rhetoric", say Axa strategists Raphael Gallardo and Sebastian Paris-Horvitz.

Gartmore's John Stewart has turned to defensive stocks and opened up short positions in cyclical sectors within the Japan Absolute Return fund following the market's poor performance.