Asset allocation: Pressures mount on markets in Q4

With the rising dollar, falling equity markets and shifts in the bond market, T. Bailey's Peter Askew highlights the risks facing asset allocators in the last quarter of 2014.

A choppy September has left many investors wondering if this year's returns have already been made. And, with the impending conclusion of quantitative easing (QE) in the US, the final quarter of 2014 could prove to be a tough one. All major equity markets suffered in September, either from increased volatility or from negative performance. The strongest performers were the Japanese stock market indices, the Nikkei 225 and Topix, with the latter posting a 1.39% gain in GBP terms over the month, slightly ahead of the S&P 500 at 0.96%. Other main indices were in negative territory. Dolla...