The early weeks of 2012 have seen a marked change in sentiment from the financial markets. They were concerned throughout last year as global growth continued to stutter against the backdrop of a monumental deficit crisis in the eurozone. Investors were often disappointed by weak economic figures from the UK, US and Europe. Budget deficits in Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Spain added fuel to the fire of uncertainty, further amplified at the end of 2011 as Italy’s balance sheet looked decidedly shaky.