m&a

Thames River's Rob Burdett argues that company balance sheets should be healthy enough to see us through the global storm.

JOHCM's Scott McGlashan claims Japanese companies must look beyond Japan to defy its depressed stock market.

Legal & General Investment Management's head of active equities Robert Churchlow believes a surge in M&A activity is set to boost the UK market.

Threadneedle is preparing to take on the management of LV='s retail and institutional fund range.

High yield bonds will return 7%-8% in 2011, according to Ian Edmonds of Legg Mason, driven by a surge in M&A and falling default rates.

ON EUROPE

Convertible bonds offer exposure to the ‘best of both worlds' across bonds and equities, writes RWC's Lakshman Harendran.

Alex Wright is manager of the £7m Fidelity UK Opportunities fund. The top-performing fund has returned 83.5% to investors over the last three years, ahead of the UK Smaller Companies sector average of 25.4%.

ON ASSET ALLOCATION

ON SPECIALIST MARKETS