2020 has begun with optimism, but there is no shortage of risks to be aware of with as the twelfth year of markets’ current bull run gets fully underway.

A highly discerning approach to selecting investments is the order of the day as 2019 draws to a close, with traditional asset classes presenting opportunities and risks in almost equal measure.

Investors are faced with even greater uncertainly than usual, yet there are possible bright spots amid the gloom – and even attractive opportunities to hunt for undervalued assets too.

A healthy US labour market may mean equities have further to go and professionals are also seeing opportunities in the high yield credit market at a time when cash may be seen as too expensive to hold.

A healthy US labour market may mean equities have further to go and professionals are also seeing opportunities in the high yield credit market at a time when cash may be seen as too expensive to hold.

Indicators of a potential global recession are being anxiously watched as global trade wars heat up, but there may be investment opportunities for the brave to pursue even while caution reigns.

Global fiscal policy and the varying firepower of central banks are key themes for investors to ponder this month, while strange moves in the bond and currency markets join equity “valuation potholes” among the risks to watch out for.

Recession risks are rising amid President Trump’s trade wars, and investors will need to weigh up portfolio allocations carefully as conditions change across equities, bonds and commodities.

Experts debate the relative merits of several safe haven assets this month, while also offering their insights on absolute return funds and how diversity impacts corporate profitability.