Equities

Following significant fiscal and monetary stimulus, optimism regarding a US economic recovery is building with the change in Q3 2009 GDP expected to be a positive 2.2% following a 1% decline in Q2 2009 and a worse 6.4% contraction in Q1.

The fund celebrates its silver anniversary as one of the longest-established UK vehicles by standing first in IMA European Smaller Companies sector

Swip has launched three emerging markets funds, focussing on infrastructure, smaller companies and Latin America respectively.

Harewood Solutions, a part of BNP Paribas, is launching a new UK Enhanced Income fund.

Baring Asset Management has appointed Kommera Chakradhar Reddy as head of India equities, with a view to launching further funds in the region.

Jupiter has appointed Ben Surtees as manager of its Asian fund, replacing Philip Ehrmann.

Our investment process identifies three qualities in a company: strong cashflow returns from its operating assets, better-than-expected earnings growth and ignorance of the first two.

Japanese Smaller Companies sector makes gains of 25.4% over the last year

Emerging market debt held up well relative to other asset classes in 2008, and in 2009 has performed strongly as global financial markets have rallied.

Expectations that the July IPD Monthly Index would show an increase in capital values after two years' declining figures were not met, falling short at -0.1%.