Outsourcing groups might appear sound investments. Be very wary

Compass is my top pick for relative security and stability in a competitive sector

Compass Group have formed many partnerships over the years like this one, when they teamed up with Johnston Mooney & O’Brien Picture: Rollingnews

There are structural factors that drive the demand for outsourced services. As public spending pressures on governments mount, it has become a fast-growth business.

The pressure to get more value for money for the taxpayer across much of the developed world has been intense, and despite disparate ideologies outsourcing has become popular among governments of many colours.

But so too it is in demand by private industry and commerce as businesses seek to ...