“I have seen the future and it is very much like the present, only longer…”

This quotation from the author of The Profit is perhaps one of the most apt descriptions of financial markets in 2012. With many predicting financial Armageddon and pointing to rising social unrest in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, the writing seemed to be on the wall for financial markets. When it became apparent that social unrest wouldn’t be a catalyst for a collapse in markets, the focus moved to the “fiscal cliff”, which was expected to create just enough uncertainty to push markets over the edge.