The volatility experienced by the financial markets is likely to continue during the first half of the year, it has been claimed.

Speaking on BBC News 24, Elissa Bayer, a senior analyst at Insinger de Beaufort, said that there is “a lot more news to come out” of the banking sector during the coming months.

Wary of falling consumer confidence, the Bank of England may reduce the base rate at least twice this year, she suggested.

“What we don’t want to do is go into recession, so all the central banks are going to have to act very carefully,” she remarked.

Ms Bayer’s comments followed a recent report by the Association of investment Companies and Unbiased.co.uk, which found that 77 per cent of independent financial advisers believe that the markets will improve in 2008.

However, fund managers were found to be less optimistic, with 61 per cent predicting that the markets would rise.

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