Commodities

Former Investec energy specialist Mark Lacey is to join Schroders.

Investment managers are beginning to question the value of holding gold for diversification purposes, as its correlation to equity markets soared to 65% this year.

Gold has climbed above the $1,400 mark for the first time since June, re-entering a bull market as disappointing US data and worries over Syria push investors into safe havens.

ING IM's strategist Koen Straetmans reviews the commodities market, looking at recent performance and flows in the asset class, and the risks it faces.

Guy Monson, CIO of Sarasin & Partners, has outlined a number of key risks which could impact rising global equity markets as we head into 2014, amid the well-flagged move by the US central bank to wind down QE.

CONTRARIAN

Iain Stewart, manager of the £7.9bn Newton Real Return fund, has added to his gold holdings in the belief the precious metal can still act as a hedging tool in investors' portfolios.

Multi-asset managers have cautioned against buying back into gold, arguing the precious metal ‘momentum trade' no longer exists.

CONTRARIAN

Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has said he does not understand gold prices or why investors hold it during certain economic environments.