Michael Murray: As stock markets get choppy, a listed funeral undertaker such as Dignity plc looks on the surface like a safe haven. But even Dignity could face a pitfall along the funeral route.

As stock markets become jittery and earnings disappointments accumulate, most investors will be considering the vulnerability of their equity portfolios.

As stock markets become jittery and earnings disappointments accumulate, most investors will be considering the vulnerability of their equity portfolios.

In the current volatile and uncertain climate, it makes sense to consider some portfolio rebalancing, and to lean towards a balanced portfolio of non-cyclical shares in well managed companies with good market positions.

Opportunities, however, to buy into companies that face few business risks are not abundant: Dignity - the British undertaker whose ...