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So far this year we’ve had very little respite from the relentless pace in markets. Russia continues to wage its atrocious and unprovoked war in Ukraine, a global recession looms, and the first quarter is ending with a bang as the dissolution of Credit Suisse into UBS has gripped investors’ attention.

The need to do something, rather than nothing, is a trait we all share. Perhaps to pick action over inaction lies deep within our evolutionary development, with the former favouring survival in the gene pool over the latter. As is often the case, our behavioural biases can lead us astray in the modern age. Investing is a case in point.

We undertake rigorous fundamental analysis on all of our new investments and often find the best opportunities present themselves when others are fearful and sentiment has forced share prices adrift from their fundamentals. Capita might not be a household name, but most of you will likely have used their services, whether it be to pay your TV license or when entering a car park with automatic registration plate recognition.

After a benign three months, February proved to be altogether more challenging. Bond markets suffered a big sell-off as the market substantially repriced interest rate expectations in line with the Fed’s view. At the beginning of the month the Fed raised the Fed Funds rate by 25bps as expected, to 4.5-4.75%, and, while signalling further rises ahead, the accompanying statement was interpreted as somewhat dovish.

Investment bubbles have occurred throughout history when the prices of certain assets rise to extremely high and unsustainable levels. Eventually, these bubbles “pop” causing prices to plummet, and investors are left with significant losses. So, how can investors avoid getting caught up in the effects of an investment bubble?