Signs of recovery in Europe have led some experts to believe that Italian fund managers are facing a far brighter future and that some make for a smart investment opportunity.

The eurozone crisis took its toll on the Italian asset management sector with outflows reaching almost €41bn in 2011, but some experts and analysts argue the industry is poised to grow this year, not least because it still benefits from high levels of the country's household savings, in contrast to the government's high debt levels.