Bond weakness a sign that equity investors should tread carefully

IN recent weeks, equity markets all over the world have entered an odd low-volatility, low-returns phase - in Hong Kong, for instance, stocks have been gradually drifting south after the massive gains made in April, with the Hang Seng now 3 per cent lower in the past three weeks while the Straits Times Index has lost almost 3 per cent in the past four weeks.

Over in the US, although Wall Street is at an all-time high, its moves have lacke…