Beaufort IM's CIO: The three main uncertainties facing investors in 2017

Equities climbing 'wall of worry'

Economic and market forecasting is always a fraught occupation, difficult and subject to behavioural biases, not least over-confidence, writes Stephen Watson.

Looking at the past few years, analysts' forecasts for earnings on both sides of the Atlantic have proven to have been over optimistic and subject to downgrades.  The Chinese have a curse 'May you live in interesting times'. That is certainly the case today.  The three main uncertainties facing investors and forecasters alike are the imponderables surrounding the UK's decision to Brexit and what that will mean for trade and movement of people, the impact of Trump assuming the presidency in the US and what that might mean for global trade and profitability for US corporates, and thirdl...