LONDON (Reuters) – Global investors pared back equity holdings as 2012 wound down, preferring to bank gains from a surprisingly bullish year as they awaited a green light from U.S. budget negotiations.

With another roller coaster year underpinned by central bank money printing, signs of U.S. and Chinese recoveries and a significant breakthrough in the euro zone debt crisis meant world markets are finishing the year on a high.

LONDON (Reuters) – Global investors are ending 2012 with lower stock holdings and more bonds than 12 months ago, staying wary about the U.S. “fiscal cliff” despite a rally in most markets this year, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday.

The stalled U.S. fiscal talks grew more heated on Wednesday and threatened to become even more so Thursday when the action is expected to shift for the first time to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) – Global investors are ending 2012
with lower stock holdings and more bonds than 12 months ago,
staying wary about the U.S. “fiscal cliff” despite a rally in
most markets this year, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday.

The stalled U.S. fiscal talks grew more heated on Wednesday
and threatened to become even more so Thursday when the action
is expected to shift for the first time to the floor of the U.S.
House of Representatives. [ID:nL1E8NJ57I]

LONDON, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Major investors are preparing to
dip their toes deeper into the turbulent waters of the euro zone
in 2013.

A year ago, investors were bracing for a possible collapse
of the currency area, dumping bonds from its ailing south,
hammering stocks and seeking safe haven in cash, abroad, or, if
they had to stay in Europe, in rock-solid German bunds.

LONDON (Reuters) – Global investors increased their equity overweight positions to a 20-month high in November, boosting their holdings of riskier assets as they became less concerned about fiscal woes on both sides of the Atlantic, a Reuters poll showed.

Ninety percent of poll respondents expect a deal by year-end on the U.S. fiscal cliff and 80 percent consider Greece will still be in the euro zone by the end of 2013, the poll of 56 leading fund managers showed.

LONDON (Reuters) – Global investors increased their equity overweight positions to a 20-month high in November, boosting their holdings of riskier assets as they became less concerned about fiscal woes on both sides of the Atlantic, a Reuters poll showed.

Ninety percent of poll respondents expect a deal by year-end on the U.S. fiscal cliff and 80 percent consider Greece will still be in the euro zone by the end of 2013, the poll of 56 leading fund managers showed.

LONDON (Reuters) – What a difference a year makes.

A Reuters’ annual investment outlook summit 12 months ago was abuzz with debate over whether the euro zone would still be in place by the end of 2012, at least with all 17 members.

After another roller-coaster year that has brought Spain to the forefront of the debt crisis, the currency bloc is rattled but still intact and break-up fears have taken a back seat for global chief investment officers.

LONDON (Reuters) – The recovery in the U.S. housing market and Ireland’s return to capital markets suggest the global economy might be emerging from the financial crisis, but a massive bubble is building in core sovereign debt, says Allianz Global Investors.

“It is the first time since this crisis started that we can say there are things falling into place that give us some hope that we might see some light at the end of the tunnel,” Andreas Utermann, chief investment officer at Allianz Global Investors told the Reuters Global Investment summit on Wednesday.