Bad news has been priced in

With the bear market appearing to be near its end, now could be the time for investors to break free from the crowd and dive back into the markets

The lacklustre diet of economic and corporate news still being fed to investors serves to remind us just how dull and disappointing 2002 was. With the global economy apparently stuck in low gear, investors have proved unwilling to put significant bets on a sustained economic upturn. Commentators, using the gift of hindsight, have projected last year's image on to this and on balance forecast another year of difficulty and restrained investment returns. And the New Year has certainly begun in an atmosphere of understandable concern. But while it is hard to ask bruised and battered inves...