After a year of economic crises investors welcome in 2012.

3rd January 2012

Ian Copelin, Investment Director, my wealth, comments,”After a disappointing and tough 2011 (where investors were impacted by natural disasters and economic uncertainty), investors greeted the start of 2012 with optimism as better than expected economic data sent global equity markets surging.

Data released this afternoon showed that US manufacturing grew in December at the fastest pace in six months.  The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index climbed to 53.9 last month from 52.7 in November (50 is the dividing line between growth and contraction) and is a good sign that the world’s largest economy is weathering the Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and global economic activity is showing signs of life.

As a result, the FTSE-100 was up 127.63 points or 2.29%, reaching its highest level since the end of October, having fallen 327.66 points or 5.6% during 2011.”