Next 12 months 'normal for investors'

Those with private wealth may be interested to learn 2011 promises to be a "normal" year for investors, in the opinion of one expert.

Andy Brunner, chief strategist at Old Broad Street Research, stated most asset managers are confident that next year will bring a period of "sustainable expansion" around the world.

Global equity markets, apart from those in Italy and Spain, have trended higher in the past month, while bond yields have continued to increase, he continued.

In terms of the best investments for 2011, Mr Brunner said on the equity markets, buyers "should favour good value growth stocks, high yielders with strong balance sheets and companies with exposure to growth economies."

The UK property market continues to stagnate, he added, but returns will be higher than those for bonds or cash.

Commodities, especially those where there is a clear imbalance between demand and supply in the long term, should also fare relatively well, the expert suggested.

Financial journalist Jim Woods named gold as the best investment in 2011 in a recent article for Investor Place.ADNFCR-2318-ID-800298426-ADNFCR