archiveColumbia Threadneedle

Markets have been too negative on global economic prospects but the UK could be a laggard when it comes to a recovery, economists and investors have suggested.Steven Bell, chief economist at Columbia Threadneedle, said consumer confidence had been very low in Europe and the UK due to concerns about the impact of higher energy costs, but could rise over the year - albeit more swiftly on the continent than in the domestic UK market.According to Bell, energy subsidies mean the issue has not had as profoundly negative an impact as originally feared. Therefore,...