These are certainly interesting times to invest, with worrying and persistent headlines

Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump announced tariffs targeting the US’s closest trading partners.

On Monday, Nvidia experienced a sharp decline of 16.9%. The sell off happened on the back of news that the Chinese AI company DeepSeek has developed large-language models with significantly reduced reliance on AI chips. This news raises concerns about the scale of future demand.

This report draws on our independent fund research and in-depth insights into the financial services industry.

It is hard to think of another year, like 2024, when headlines were this heavy. Yet markets powered on to new highs. Equities, bonds, property and commodities all delivered strong returns.

This report is based on our unbiased fund research. We look back on what has been a difficult year for active fund management firms.