Investors should focus on long-term trends


Investors should focus on the more predictable long-term trends, which will be key to sustainable growth, and which will be shaping equity markets in 2018, according to Janus Henderson Investors.
As far as global equities investments were concerned, the firm said that 2018 would see a number of long-term structural growth trends, that were previously underappreciated, and they would continue to shape its strategy.
These themes would include the ongoing shift from cash to paperless payments, the transformational effect of the internet, the ageing global demographic and the consequences this would have for healthcare spend, among others.
Predictions regarding geopolitical and economic news flows and the short-term impact this could have on markets should be approached with a long-term mindset, the firm said.
Janus Henderson Investors’ head of global equities team, Ian Warmerdam added: “Our investment decisions are made with a five-year time horizon and we see the risk of losing money as more relevant than relative underperformance.
“Our strategy will continue to invest in companies that have high-quality characteristics in terms of their franchise, financials and their management. We believe that this will provide resilience during periods of market uncertainty, allowing us to invest for the long term as these trends take hold.
“With the continual move up in overall market levels, particularly in the US, we are acutely aware of the need to stay true to this discipline. 2018 will be a year when this will be as important as ever.
According to FE Analytics, Janus Henderson Global Equity Income Fund delivered an annualised return of 19.61 per cent over the past 12 months to 31 October, 2017.
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