Henderson's Burvill: Why equities could rally 20% this year

Henderson's Chris Burvill has forecast global equities could rally by as much as 20% in 2012 if more positive economic data continues to be seen from major economies.

The manager of the £805m Henderson Cautious Managed fund said equity markets are gearing up for a tough 12 months, with sentiment depressed. But in this environment he said any positive surprise could prompt those waiting on the sidelines to pile in, in anticipation of a rally. "If news improves then investors will move into equities very quickly. I would urge investors to get in now. Equities rallying by up to 20% this year is perfectly possible," said Burvill. The MSCI World is down 8.14% over the last year (to 16 Jan), and Burvill said it could charge higher if newsflow improves. ...