Fund managers fasten seatbelts after a week of wild markets

The consensus among major investment banks and fund managers is that markets overshot and future trends will be calmer.But the question remains: Was the recent upheaval a chance to reset, or are conditions simply too panicky to risk? - AFP Photo.

LONDON: Even the wildest markets nearly always draw opportunists looking for profitable ways to play them. But recent volatility has hit such a level that the strongest-nerved are thinking twice.

This week saw enormous swings across global financial indices as investors took fright at the potential impact of slowing growth and inflation, particularly in Europe, just as the US ends its huge monetary stimulus programme.