Investors have been surprised by the FTSE/JSE All Share Index’s strong rally of 24,9% since the market’s low on 23 January 2008. What is even more surprising is the large difference in the improvement of the major sub-indices. Resources companies have rallied by an incredible 44,8% on the back of only a few shares, followed by industrial companies with 18,6% and financial companies with only 9,4%.

As a result of the sharp rise in commodity prices on global markets and the woes of foreign banks (owing to the credit crunch), investors are sorely tempted to switch investments in resources companies to financial companies. However, investors should bear in mind that the return on an investment in a

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