Despite the uncertain economic backdrop, coupled with a low-yield environment, some sectors have held up pretty well and investors remain on the lookout for growth at any price.
The challenge of balancing risk and return has taken on added importance and when push comes to shove, advisers are favouring the former. According to our research on the UK investment landscape in 2017, 80% of advisers say risk is a prominent factor when addressing client portfolio targets. This may seem obvious, but it contrasts with the less than half (49%) citing growth as a target. Advisers are batting off the back foot.

Could high conviction stock pickers be the big winners of 2017 against the backdrop of Brexit? An overwhelming 82% of advisers expect significant volatility once Article 50 is activated by the end of March 2017.

Having dodged the initial Armageddon scenario, signs suggest the UK economy has been relatively resilient post-Brexit as economic data continues to drip through. Consumption has remained strong and manufacturing firms have seen a boost in exports on the back of weaker sterling. Meanwhile, the fall in the pound helped prop up the FTSE 100 in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit vote. However, after hitting a record high in October, the index has since staged a retreat on the back of Trump-induced anxiety.

And black clouds continue to hang over the UK economy in the form of the threat of recession, foreign/multinational firms moving away from the UK and currency translation effects.
Meanwhile, advisers are split on whether to expect a hard (48%) or soft (52%) Brexit. Those in the soft camp are more growth-orientated in the way they invest, while those expecting a full breakup from the EU (hard Brexit) are banking on value funds outperforming growth (62% vs. 49% for a soft Brexit).

Of those advisers backing a hard Brexit, 57% say the lack of additional EU red tape — something they think will result from taking such a route — will provide an opportunity for them. They believe it will make it easier to service clients given they will only have to abide by local regulation and not EU law. But only 41% of those backing a soft Brexit believe it will help them to provide a better service to clients. So the question of whether Brexit actually provides a boost for the financial advice industry could become a dominant theme in 2017. займы на карту без отказа займ под залог птс спбоформить онлайн займ на карту без отказазайм на карту хабаровск