Exhausting few weeks seems like a year for the markets

January normally starts off slowly as money managers assess the year in terms of which asset classes will perform, and which are overpriced.

This is normally a calm process because clients’ money is already allocated and it’s a case of whether some switching is needed. Rarely do we ever have to do a full spring clean.

The start of this year was different. Big themes dominated — Brexit, President Donald Trump and the political landscape in Europe. Any one of these was enough to make market participants sit up and take notice.