What does 2018 have in store for investors?

As 2017 fades into the distance with its ongoing Brexit negotiations, a falling pound and a rising Bitcoin, will there be more of the same for investors in 2018? I think so.

Perhaps another financial crisis, as the crypto-currencies topple the existing global banking infrastructure? Another rise in UK interest and a continued move away from QE to quantitative tightening (QT) by the global central banks?

So, what do the fund managers think?

The 2017 fund manager poll by the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) found managers remaining positive on the outlook for equities in 2018, but Brexit and interest rates are causing them concern.

Equities remain the asset class investment company managers think is most likely to perform best in the coming year. However, managers are more cautious, with 60% of managers thinking equities will perform best in 2018. This is down on the bullish 76% in last year’s poll. The majority (69%) think stock markets will rise next year but the remaining 31% say they don’t know if markets will rise.