What Investment articles from December 2005

What Investment archives from December 2005

Fringe benefits.(Comment)
December 1, 2005... When me satirical review Beyond the Fringe transferred to the West End in 1961, its four performers--Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore--used the prospect of larger audiences to leverage up their pay cheques, finally...

Paper tigers.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2005... A recent survey suggests that 58 per cent of private investors--over 5.4 million nationwide--oppose the government's plans to replace paper share certificates with an electronic record, according to research commissioned by Stocktrade, the...

Cheque, mate.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2005... Customers have to wait at least three working days before earning interest on cheques paid into their current accounts, while banks stop paying interest on withdrawals the same day, according to a new report from Defaqto, the financial research...

Competition winner.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2005... The winner of the What Investment Fortuna Land Investment competition held in July and August for 500 square metres of the Cazadores Reales project is Jamie Walker of Bagshot, Surrey. Jamie and his family accepted Fortuna's invitation to fly...

AIMing down for growth.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2005... Companies that have moved from the main market to the Alternative Investment Market, the London Stock Exchange's market for growing companies, have seen their share price increase significantly, according to new research from financial website...

A round-up of the comings and goings in the fund management world.(Manager moves)
December 1, 2005... Leigh Harrison, manager of the Credit Suisse Income Funds, Credit Suisse Income and Alpha Income, is leaving the group to join Threadneedle Investments. Harrison will be replaced by Errol Francis, who has been with CSAM since January 2004. ...

Recent moves.
December 1, 2005... Recent moves These are the latest fund manager moves from October 2005. To keep track of your fund manager, and for further commentary on manager moves, visit www.bestinvest.co.uk Date left Fund manager Moved from... ...

Top ten funds.(December news)
December 1, 2005... Top ten funds UNIT TRUSTS One Year 1 MLIIF Ltn American Fd A2 165.03 2 JI Latin America Equity 162.47 3 ABN AMRO Ltn America Eq A 161.35 4 Baring Latin America 160.86 5 ...

Threadneedle Investments.(New offers)
December 1, 2005... Threadneedle Investments has recently launched the Threadneedle Absolute Return Bond Fund. The aim of the fund is to return 60 per cent above three-month LIBOR (London Inter-bank Offered Rate) before charges and tax. With LIBOR currently...

Friends Provident.(New offers)
December 1, 2005... The Friends Provident Friends ISA has been created following the rule changes earlier this year that allowed life ISAs to be reclassified. Friends Provident claims investors can adapt the product to suit their individual risk profile...

New Star.(Product of the month)
December 1, 2005... The New Star Cautious Portfolio Unit Trust (NSCPUT) aims to deliver potential capital growth together with a competitive income (currently estimated at approximately 3.5 per cent net per annum, paid quarterly) with a focus on absolute return....

Galliard Homes Ltd.(New offers)
December 1, 2005... One Westminster Bridge, London, SE1 is an opportunity to invest in a brand-new landmark development in Central London and benefit from a ten-year-guaranteed return on investment. It is an 'apart-hotel', to be developed by Galliard Homes...

A question of incentive: should we save for retirement? Keiron Root tries to make sense of the mixed messages.(Lessons from history)
December 1, 2005... While "A-Day"--the day on which pensions will suddenly be made much simpler for all of us to understand--gets ever closer, and the government exhorts us to take more responsibility for providing for our own welfare in retirement, one or two...

Chic boutiques: investment boutiques are all the fashion, but do they really distinguish themselves from their mainstream counterparts?(Boutique funds)
December 1, 2005... Managing money has traditionally been regarded as a 'scale' business, with investment companies seeking to raise their fees by increasing assets under management. In the last few years, however, there has been something of a backlash against...

Satisfaction guaranteed?(GUARANTEED EQUITY BONDS)
December 1, 2005... With interest rates at low levels and likely to remain that way for the foreseeable future, savers are understandably keen to look for alternatives to cash deposits that will give them a better return on their money. One potential solution is...

Clubbing together: now that the markets are looking up and the nights are drawing in, have you ever thought about forming--or joining--an investment club?(Investment clubs)
December 1, 2005... Being a member of an investment club can be fun but it can also be a way to make some serious money. By clubbing together with other people you could not only benefit from a more diversified portfolio but also from a lower dealing cost than if...

Help wanted.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... I have an endowment policy with Norwich Union, which matures in April 2006 when I will be 72 years old. Having complained to the accountancy firm that set up the policy in 1986, I was turned down for compensation. I then went to the ombudsman,...

Broadening horizons.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... I have been thinking about diversifying my portfolio by buying shares in companies listed outside the UK. Is this a good idea? How easy is it? What is the cheapest way to buy and sell international stocks? And how can I research foreign...

The way ahead?(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... In my pursuit of suitable schemes to help mitigate inheritance tax, it seems most plans offer no opportunity to have access to the capital once it has been placed in trust or invested in another person's name. The only money available to the...

Online trading platforms: of all the trading platforms out there, which ones are the most intuitive, easy to use and cost-effective? What should you look for when choosing a trading platform? How easy are they to set up? Do you have to sign a contract? Harvey Jones boots up his computer.(Technology)
December 1, 2005... Investors who take a direct and active interest in their portfolio will probably want to buy and sell stocks in real time, online, There are more than 30 trading platforms out there, many offering almost identical services, so how do you...

Is big beautiful? Sod's Law dictates that when you've just invested in a small-cap fund, large caps will surge ahead and leave small caps behind--and vice versa. Simon Hildrey analyses your options.(Large cap vs small cap)
December 1, 2005... At the end of October, Marconi agreed to sell most of its business and name to Sweden s Ericsson. A former star of industrial Britain is now left with a small part of its operations called Telent. This may not appear an unusual development for...

Global equities: the sun rises in Japan as it sets on the FTSE: each month, What Investment speaks to fund managers and analysts focusing on four different asset classes, and asks them to reveal the key issues currently driving their stock-selection decisions.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
December 1, 2005... The crystal-ball gazing for 2006 has already started, with Neptune Fund Managers one of the first off the mark with its prediction for next year. Top of its list for strong returns is Japan. Chris Taylor, manager of the Neptune Japan...

Bonds: bond markets cautious over new man at the Fed.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
December 1, 2005... The long awaited change at the top of the US Federal Reserve Board, combined with the uncertain outlook for inflation across the pond, is focussing the attention of bond fired managers on what is happening in North America. Toby Nangle,...

Commodities: time for the 'softs' to catch up with the 'hards'.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
December 1, 2005... The continuing interest in the commodity sector is borne out by the news Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM) is to launch a new investment trust focusing on income generation from a portfolio of commodity-based shares. The new fund's...

Property: prospects improving at home and abroad.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
December 1, 2005... Commercial property is becoming an increasingly attractive asset class for private investors. Explaining the rationale behind the new M&G Property Portfolio, its manager, John Cartwright, observes that: "For years, pension funds have enjoyed...

Market insider: Germany: continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for Germany.(WORLD MARKETS)
December 1, 2005... Well, you know what they say about never counting your chickens before they're hatched. Right now there must be an awful lot of 'experts' walking round the place with egg all over their faces. And pretty badly addled eggs, at that. Two months...

Market view: Tom Winnifrith considers the outlook for UK shares.(UK SHARES)
December 1, 2005... It was a rollercoaster month in the financial markets, with the FTSE 100 ending October below the level at which it started the month--down 3 per cent at 5,317.3. For the blue-chip index it was a month of two halves with the first two weeks...

Sector view: retail.(UK SHARES)
December 1, 2005... Christmas is here, so there can only be one sector in the spotlight: general retail. In fact retail has been in the spotlight all year. On one hand there has been the news on earnings which has been, almost, universally dismal. Quite simply,...

Share view: M&S.(UK SHARES)
December 1, 2005... It may shock you, but the one large retailer enjoying an improvement in trading is Marks & Spencer. But before you get too excited, this is largely because it would have been hard not to improve on what was a truly woeful 2004. At the interim...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, looks at the rollercoaster that is the European automotive sector.(STOCK MARKET REVIEW)
December 1, 2005... You could be forgiven for thinking that the outlook for the global automobile sector is somewhat cloudy. The industry's largest players, General Motors (GM) and Ford, managed operating margins of just 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent respectively in...

Unit trust best buys: what investment asks three independent financial advisers to recommend their favourite unit trusts for a cautious, a balanced and an aggressive investment.(UNIT TRUSTS MONITOR)
December 1, 2005... CAUTIOUS OPTION Tony Lanning, director of research & investment at Origen, suggests the Investec Cautious Managed Fund as an option for those investors who do not want to take too much risk. This is ranked 6 out of 27 funds in the Cautious...

Unit trust performance tables.(UNIT TRUSTS CEICs)
December 1, 2005... What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 31 October 2005, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

Occupying the middle ground: Keiron Root talks to a fund manager who makes the most of mid-cap stocks.
December 1, 2005... Leigh Himsworth is not your typical fund manager. Based in the Leeds office of Rensburg Fund Management, the investment management subsidiary of private client stockbroker Rensburg Sheppards, he had a financial career outside of the investment...

Investment trust best buys: what investment asks three investment trust specialists to recommend their favourite investment trust shares for a cautious, a balanced and an aggressive investment.(INVESTMENT TRUSTS: MONITOR)
December 1, 2005... CAUTIOUS OPTION David Hambidge, investment director, pooled funds, at Premier Asset Management, points cautious investors in the direction of a fund of hedge funds. Dexion Absolute's shares are ranked fourth out of six in the Hedge Fund...

Investment trust performance tables.
December 1, 2005... What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 31 October 2005, on a midmarket basis with net incm reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can compare...

Personal pension annuity rates.(REFERENCE)
December 1, 2005... An annuity is a financial product that converts capital into income. You can buy one with any lump sum of money or you can buy one with accrued pension funds. Currently, for money purchase pension funds, you must buy an annuity by the time you...

Best ways to save.(Money Facts)
December 1, 2005... Best ways to save Telephone Number INSTANT-ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Stroud & Swindon BS 08457 252423 Universal BS 0845 070 1314 Scarborough BS ...

Cash ISAs.(Reference)
December 1, 2005... CASH ISAs Company Notice Minimum or term deposit MINI CASH ISAs 1,000 [pounds sterling] Halifax None (H) 1 [pounds sterling] Bradford & Bingley None...

Tessa-only ISAs.(Reference)
December 1, 2005... TESSA-ONLY ISAs Company Notice Minimum orterm deposit TESSA ONLY ISAs 3,000 [pounds sterling] Halifax None(H) 1 [pounds sterling] Harpenden BS ...

National savings & investments.(Reference)
December 1, 2005... NATIONAL SAVINGS & INVESTMENTS Product Notice/ Minimum Term Deposit ACCOUNTS AND BONDS Easy Access Savings Instant ...

Top-performing unit-linked pensions.(LIPPER: A REUTER COMPANY)
December 1, 2005... Five years to 31 October 2005. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-bid basis with gross income reinvested. Name Value Rank Balanced Managed Scottish Widows...

Financial contacts: ISA directory.(Directory)
December 1, 2005... Financial Contacts ISA Directory NAME & ADDRESS NAME OF TYPE SCHEME Abbey National Investments ISA Stocks & Shares Tel: 0800 30 20 30 Safely Plus Cash...

Oh no! Not Spain ... Martin Roberts, Travel & Property journalist and presenter of 'Wish You Were Here', BBC TV's 'Homes under the Hammer' and partner in Overseas Investment Property Specialists, Ocean View, analyses whether you should write off old favourite Spain as a place to invest your money.(Advertising Feature)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2005... Oh No!.. Not Spain!", I hear you cry. "Give me Bulgaria... or Florida... Croatia... Istanbul... I hear Russia's doing very well... but Pleeeeeeese... not been-there, done-that, run-out-of-steam Spain!" It's true. The world is...

First in. Last out. Medecins Sans Frontieres was born out of an outrage against suffering and a determination to heal and to speak out on behalf of people ignored by the outside world.
December 1, 2005... After six years in the field as a volunteer for MSF, for me it is a medical aid organisation like no other. One driving force unites our doctors, nurses, logisticians and field staff who leave each year for places no-one knows or cares about....

Niger: saving lives against all the odds.
December 1, 2005... August 2005. The day before 18 tonnes of food aid is unloaded at Maradi airport in Niger, four-year-old Moussa, his tiny body ravaged by starvation, finally loses his battle to survive. Compounding the grief felt by his family, the boy's...

Colombia: providing care behind the hidden frontlines.
December 1, 2005... "One day some men arrived. They accused us of supporting the guerrillas... They threatened my husband with a weapon in front of the children, and told us to leave by dawn." This is how a traumatised woman living in the town of Soacha in...

Somalia: saving lives in an abandoned land.
December 1, 2005... It is like it is never going to end. Hundreds of women are walking single file into the huge compound. They are all carrying children, they are all hoping for food, and they are legion. It is a scene that repeats itself every month in the tiny...

Why we need you.
December 1, 2005... The vital difference you can make Although medical aid does not come cheap, our doctors and nurses work for next to nothing. So a small amount each month can, over the course of a year, achieve a great deal. To be able to help someone who...

Haiti: only port of refuge in spiralling violence.
December 1, 2005... Wednesday, June 22, 2005: It is about ten a.m. in Port-au-Prince. A Haitian Red Cross ambulance pulls up to the emergency entrance of St Joseph's Hospital, sirens wailing. The hospital houses the city's only free emergency medical treatment...

Chechnya: providing a haven of care in desperate times.
December 1, 2005... In February 2005, MSF international staff returned to Chechnya for the first time in eight years. We withdrew our expatriate volunteers due to insecurity problems. During our absence we continued to provide direct medical care in neighbouring...

Democratic republic of congo: treating HIV/AIDS in a conflict zone.
December 1, 2005... At Peace deal might be on the able after years of brutal conflict, but ordinary people continue to live under the terrifying spectre of violence, mass murder and rape. Much of the country remains in a state of emergency in terms of health....

Eye witness: surviving an earthquake with the people of Kashmir.
December 1, 2005... When an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit Kashmir on October 8, MSF was setting up a maternal health unit in Lamnian, a remote mountain village in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. MSF volunteer Jan Peter Stellema was there. ...