House prices key to outlook for bonds

Bonds have been the silver lining to the equity market's dark cloud for some time. Just as 2002 was ...

Bonds have been the silver lining to the equity market's dark cloud for some time. Just as 2002 was the third year in a row that equity markets fell it was also the third year of positive returns for the gilt market and sterling corporate bond markets. This rally has been accompanied by increased allocation to bonds by many institutional investors such as insurance companies and pension funds. Retail investors have also been strong buyers of corporate bond funds in particular. Looking forward, I believe that much depends on the housing market. The boom in house prices is both sympto...