GDP

Following a 70% rally from the lows of March, Asian equities' outperformance gap versus the rest of the world has widened even further, resulting in 31% outperformance for the first seven months of the year.

When making asset allocation decisions, the temptation is always to opt for markets and funds that are performing well.

The S&P 500 has risen more than 40% since the lows witnessed earlier this year.

Despite frequent waves of negative news, there are several bullish trends emerging for the US economy and its stock market.

The overall economic picture, from the combined newsflow at macro and individual company level, is one of uneasy stability.

Having recorded further heavy losses in early 2009 to reach a low point in March, share prices have rebounded strongly in recent months.

After some uncertain times, the newsflow is getting more positive and the tables appear to be turning. Have we really come through the banking crisis unscathed or is there more bad news in the post?

Japan's economy expanded 0.9% in the second quarter compared to the previous one, lifting hopes that it may be recovering after four quarters of contraction.

The UK equity market has the potential for continued strong returns despite its recent strength.

Henderson New Star chief economist Simon Ward says patterns in previous recessions suggest the depth of the current downturn may have been overstated.