Asset Class Returns As At 31 December 2009

REITs have continued to climb, a sure sign of sustained bottom fishing, which may explain the still subdued recovery in real estate in the US. This kind of sustained bottom fishing is important as it will enable funds to tap new investors or old ones to put in fresh capital to take advantage of a recovering sector. As in any recovery, you need to see fresh capital re-emerging. Uptrend boosts confidence, and a bit of confidence is a lot more powerful than a spreadsheet or power point presentation.

Emerging markets equity closed off the year very well. Developed markets equity continue to suffer from a perception of delayed recovery, and subsequently a lack of fresh funds flowing into those markets. What was surprising, or not really, was the sell off in US bonds and emerging market bonds. This is a strong indicator - it shows that risk aversion has continued to ease, and more importantly investors are preparing funds to obtain higher returns in the first quarter of 2010 (i.e. equity).

p/s photos: Mona Chopra