Anyone looking to profit from recent fluctuations in the stock market needs to make sure that they time their investments perfectly, one expert has claimed.

Andrew Tully, senior pensions policy manager at Standard Life, explained that to make the most of their investments at such time people either have to be very lucky or very knowledgeable.

He said: Investing at the top of the market can have a significant impact on the amount people receive at the end of the day. It is possible to be right about the future direction of a share price or market, but lose money because the timing of the transaction was off.

Mr Tully suggested in order to lessen the risk of buying at the wrong time, people should spread their investments across a period of time.

Yesterday, Ralph Brook-Fox, investment manager for Resolution Asset Management, claimed that blue-chip stocks are currently the safest place for investments.

He suggested people focus on firms with high overseas earnings and the potential for growth.