Urquhart Stewart: Why you need portfolio protection

You may recall last August when, as a result of yet another credit rating agency announcing yesterday's news, we saw the markets and certainly the EuroStoxx 50 drop by over 20%.

As many are now preparing for this year’s summer sojourn, then maybe it would be wise to ensure that client portfolios are suitably structured with insurance against the unknown unknowns.  This may not necessarily just be for those negative events which could occur, but equally to ensure that you don’t miss out on the sudden head rushes that can also be so easy to miss.  No prizes for guessing what might rattle the markets on the downside: after-shocks from the LIBOR scandal, the appearance of a China hard-landing, or a rush of protectionist policies.  And there are any number of e...