Beyond this, the trick is ensuring that the portfolio evolves with an ever-changing climate; that investments, which would be designed to be held for a number of years, are made based on a qualitative view of future prospects, with underlying assumptions being regularly sense checked.

This is particularly true in terms of geographical allocation. Global economies continue to enjoy - or endure - very different fortunes and the fundamental capstones of economic performance in different regions is continually influenced by an evolving landscape marked by violent paroxysms in the Middle East, the spectre of financial meltdown in Europe and political posturing in the world’s largest economy, the US.

In this Autumn Investment Monitor, Investment Adviser seeks to de-mystify the performance drivers in the main global economies and give an insight into future prospects. Areas covered include the improving prospects in developed markets, the ripple effect of headwinds emerging out of unrest in the Middle East, and the latest developments in renascent Japan.

Alongside this broader economic picture, there is also a must-see list looking at the top 10 ‘turnaround’ fund managers in 2013, and a look at the global IPO market in 2013 and what we can expect in the coming months.