With strong performance from most emerging markets, smaller companies and technology, 2017 will be remembered as the year that rewarded those investors willing to take some risk with their investments. Despite initial worries about political risk stemming from Brexit and upcoming European elections, equity markets in general soared. For the first time in recorded history the S&P 500 made gains in every month of the calendar year, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index ended the year up 30.55% (in sterling terms), while the Japanese Topix Index returned 22.23%.