Three key investment themes for 2012

2011 was a mixed year for stocks. So, this year, there are some great shares to be had at low prices, says professional investor Simon Gergel. Here, he tips three stocks to buy now.

Each week, a professional investor tells MoneyWeek where he'd put his money now. This week: Simon Gergel, manager, RCM Merchants Trust and Allianz RCM UK Equity Income Fund.

Markets polarised in 2011. There were strong performances from large, high-yielding stocks in relatively defensive industries, such as pharmaceuticals and tobacco. But there were poor performances from more cyclical sectors, such as banks and mining. So the issue for investors is how to position yourself for 2012. The answer will be driven by three key themes.

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Simon Gergel

Simon has been the Chief Investment Officer of UK Equities at Allianz Global Investors for more than 17 years and he has extensive experience in fund management. Previous to that, Simon was the Director Senior Fund Manager at HSBC for four years and a UK fund manager executivedirector at UBS Global Asset Management for 14 years. He has a degree in mathematics from the University of Cambridge. Simon contributes to MoneyWeek, giving his outlook on the stockmarket in MoneyWeek’s share tips.