It has been and remains a tough time to be a European equity fund manager. That generally should be considered an immediate warning to look out for lame excuses as to why a fund is underperforming.Or it might actually be an interesting way of thinking about how political uncertainty, combined with an arguably overvalued bond market, is having repercussions for equities.But firstly, in a global con

The first interest rate rise in the best part of a decade is on the way for the US against a backdrop of demanding valuations, a mixed picture for corporate earnings and global economic jitters. The event will affect not only US stocks but also sentiment towards UK equities and other investments.The evidence suggests there is no reason for anyone owning US-listed stocks to panic although a more se

Global stock markets have slumped on fears that the US central bank will start to scale back its economic stimulus programme this year. This is on the back of comments made yesterday by the Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke.The FTSE 100, Dac and Cac 40 all recorded falls in excess of 2%; the Dow Jones yesterday closed down 1.4% and has recorded further declines today.Gold fell more than 3.5% i