Equities

Our ten most popular stories of this week were something of a mixed bag - readers wanted to know which were the most popular funds of Q1, why equity valuations could be misleading, and who was the latest high profile hire at Ashcourt Rowan.

Kleinwort Benson CIO discusses where investors are really putting their money and reveals the equity markets he is backing this year.

TOP PERFORMERS

Superficially attractive equity market valuations are concealing a number of warning signs for investors, according to RWC Partners' income managers Nick Purves and Ian Lance.

Tidjane Thiam, chief executive of Prudential, is in line for a £7m share jackpot despite receiving a personal rebuke last week from City regulators.

Equity funds saw their highest net retail sales for nearly two years in February, the Investment Management Association (IMA) said today, with net inflows of nearly £1bn.

Renaissance Asset Managers has been bought by emerging markets specialist Kazimir Partners, in a move which will see a number of its funds merged into other products, and a raft of new strategies launched.

The S&P 500 is on the verge of passing its all-time closing high after rising as much as 0.5% in early trading.

Cazenove's top performing UK Equity Income fund manager Matt Hudson has identified the potential winners among the UK's banking sector following a stellar year for all the big banks.

Société Générale strategist Albert Edwards has urged investors to stick with their core government bond holdings in the face of a threat to US profit margins which could hit equity markets.