Punters miss the bull run

Private investors for the most part missed out on the great 2012 "bull run" in the stock market, fearing to be brave amid the economic uncertainty.

Figures from Jupiter Fund Management showed an inflow of money into its funds of just £700m during 2011, compared with £2.3bn in 2010. Its chief executive Edward Bonham Carter, referring to the sharp sell-off earlier this week, said: "You can see why they remain cautious."