A baa...d year ahead by any other name?

Will investors get sheared in the financial markets? That was the compelling question as the ram ushered in the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, on Feb 19.

Eighth in the 12-animal cycle, the Year of the Ram is also often referred to as the Year of the Sheep and sometimes as the Goat. As it turns out, the Chinese character yang means all three.

This ruminant by any other name makes scant difference as the coming months are expected to pose some severe economic and financial challenges. With the Chinese economy slowing, continuing uncertainty over the strength of growth in the United States, and a debt crisis in Greece threatening to destabilize Europe, things appear decidedly woolly.