Time to take another look at equities

With this Isa season almost certain to see a flurry of bond launches, current expectations of equity returns may be too much on the bearish side

Consumers on both sides of the Atlantic will play a very important part in what happens to markets over the next year ' just as they did over the course of 2001. Spending in the shops over Christmas and through to the January sales has remained buoyant in the UK with just a slight sign of some easing off in America. Last year's interest rate cuts ' eleven in the US and six in the UK ' were designed to keep consumers spending by cutting returns on savings and making borrowing cheaper. While is does seem to have worked, the question is whether consumers can keep going at this pace. One ...