What Investment articles from December 2006

What Investment archives from December 2006

Can't buy a thrill.(Comment--the bigger picture)
December 1, 2006... 'During the course of the autumn, the What Investment office received a considerable amount of comment relating to a number of significant anniversaries that were taking place during the month. Some such as the bicentenary of the founding of...

Retirement homes.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2006... Property, partners and part-time jobs are replacing pensions as the main source of retirement income, according to recent research from JP Morgan Asset Management. Younger people seem to care about pensions the least, according to JP...

A secure future for ISAs.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2006... The government has announced important changes to the ISA regime and hinted at possible further developments. ISAs will now be a permanent feature of the savings landscape, as the government attempts to establish a long-term savings habit among...

Winterthur's wider range.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2006... Winterthur Life has launched a range of discretionary and bare trusts aimed at IHT planning for wealthy investors. The trusts will be for use in conjunction with Winterthur's investment bond. The range will encompass a discounted gift trust,...

Confusion confines the CTF.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2006... Research from Family Investments has shown that parents are opting for cash investments within Child Trust Fund (CTF), rather than the stakeholder option, as they do not understand the various choices available. The friendly society's...

Asian trade.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2006... The new Jupiter Asian fund is focusing on intra-regional trade due to a supposed growth in disposable incomes and higher consumer spending in the region. Philip Ehrmann, previously at Gartmore, now manages the 38 million [pounds sterling]...

Euro property.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2006... Rutley European Property Limited (REPL) has announced that it will be applying to list on the London and Channel Island stock exchanges and will look to raise up to 200 million [pounds sterling] by issuing C shares. The Guernsey-based...

Splitting the costs.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2006... Fidelity International has restored the charge on its Special Situations Fund to 3.5 per cent after imposing a higher charge in September 2005 to limit the fund's size. The higher charge of 5.25 per cent was imposed to limit the flow of new...

Early entry enabled.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2006... Private investors will gain access to a professionally managed portfolio of high-growth pre-initial public offering (IPO) companies, through a fund recently launched by Pre-X Capital Management. Launched under the Enterprise Investment Scheme...

Recent moves.(News Round-up)
December 1, 2006... Recent moves These are the latest fund manager moves announced to the beginning of November 2006. To keep track of your fund manager, and for further commentary on manager moves, visit www.bestinvest.co.uk Date left Fund...

Top ten funds.(December news)
December 1, 2006... Top ten funds UNIT TRUSTS One Year 1 Baring Hong Kong China USD 151.56 2 JF China A (dist) USD 150.01 3 Neptune Russ and Gtr Russ A Acc 149.23 4 dit China A USD ...

News offers: we examine what the latest savings and investment plans have to offer investors. Each product has been given a star rating, representing its overall value for money, based on cost, terms and conditions and investment potential.(December news)
December 1, 2006... * Braemar Group The Coronation IV Limited Partnership is an investment fund that aims to offer direct investment in residential property with generous tax incentives. It buys vacant space above commercial property, such as shops or...

Jupiter China fund.(Product of the month)
December 1, 2006... Managed by Philip Ehrmann, previously of Gartmore, this fund aims to achieve capital growth by investing in Chinese companies. Ehrmann has more than 16 years' experience managing emerging market equities, including the Gartmore China...

AIMing for recovery: Harvey Jones examines the dramatic rise in the number and size of companies on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and asks whether this has affected the overall performance of the 'junior stock market'.(Alternative Investment Market)
December 1, 2006... At the start of 2006, the future was looking rosy for the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The market shot up 6 per cent in January and had risen an impressive 20 per cent by the end of the first quarter. Analysts claimed this was solid...

A question of trust: investment trust pensions may be seen as a niche area of retirement planning, but they can play a big role in helping you save for your future. Pauline McCallion considers your options.(Investment trust pensions)
December 1, 2006... "Saving for a rainy day" is a well-worn phrase but undoubtedly a sensible path to take, especially when considering your retirement planning. There are numerous pension plans available; it is simply a matter of finding the one that works for...

Investing for growth: each month, What Investment focuses on a potential growth stock highlighted by our sister publication Investing for Growth.(Growth stocks)
December 1, 2006... Investing for Growth is a monthly publication dedicated to uncovering growth stocks that might otherwise be missed by its readers. It bases its analysis on Company REFS--Really Essential Financial Statistics--an approach to financial analysis...

Premier Research Group--outsourcing tailwind.(AIM PORTFOLIO RECOMMENDATION)(Company overview)
December 1, 2006... Premier Research Group is an international contract research organisation (CRO) based in Europe and the US. CROs supply pharmaceutical and biotech companies with a range of services, which include: product development and formulation, clinical...

Market view: Tom Winnifrith considers the outlook for UK shares.(UK SHARES)
December 1, 2006... October is both the month when the market traditionally picks up from the summer lull and, conversely, the month that has seen the biggest major stock market crashes in history, Mercifully, this time around it was the former, and the chief...

UK sector view: Ofex/PLUS.(UK SHARES)
December 1, 2006... The roots of PLUS lie in file somewhat colourful market formerly known as Ofex, an unofficial successor to the now defunct Unlisted Securities Market. Founded in 1995, Ofex was initially a matched-bargain facility, enjoying the height of its...

Share view: MyHome and English Wines.(UK SHARES)
December 1, 2006... The rebranding and rebirth of PLUS has attracted a growing number of quality, high-growth, profitable companies. Whilst maintaining a more than adequate regulatory infrasuucture, the market does not svcamp its constituents with the needless...

European sector review: Henk Potts looks at the prospects for the pharmaceutical sector.
December 1, 2006... Equity markets have been enjoying the renewed affections of investors recently, with many indices soaring to multi-year highs. But it's unlikely to be completely smooth sailing for markets over the coming months, given the continued...

Market Insider: silent nights: Michael Wilson wonders whether the German economy will experience a chilly New Year.(WORLD MARKETS)
December 1, 2006... Now, let's be perfectly frank about this. Germany has been the next big thing on the European scene for as long as anyone can remember. The 'locomotive of Europe', as it used to be called, ran out of puff shortly after the reunification of East...

Global equities: time to apply more pressure: 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, 2006... Naturally enough, with the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England joining the US authorities in more 'monetary tightening' (i.e. raising interest rates), stock market investors are concerned about the effect that this will have...

Bonds: focusing on the short end.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
December 1, 2006... Any change in interest rates has an immediate impact on the bond markets, and the MPC's increase in the UK base rate to 5 per cent at the beginning of November was no exception. Simon Ward, economist at New Star Asset Management, feels that...

Commodities: restricted supply keeps prices high.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
December 1, 2006... Evy Hambro, fund manager of the Merrill Lynch International Investment World Mining fund, reminds investors: "As key ingredients in industrial processing and manufacturing, commodity prices tend to be strongest during periods of industrial...

Property: still fundamentally strong.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
December 1, 2006... The property market reacted to the news of the latest interest rate rise with a degree of concern. Simon Ward, economist at New Star Asset Management, notes: "The MPC's move should lead to a cooler housing market in early 2007. Indicators have...

Care costs.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answers readers' financial planning and investment queries)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... In the Money Clinic section of the October 2006 issue of What Investment, Philip Spiers of NHFA Care Fees Advice dealt with an enquiry about care-home fees. In his response he mentioned the topic of the 12-week property disregarded funding that...

ISA options.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answers readers' financial planning and investment queries)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... Your pages give ample information regarding the workings of ISAs and how to purchase them, but no details on how or when they mature, or what to do when this happens. I am 58 years old and have a small pension fund with Orange. Can I...

A share price conundrum.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answers readers' financial planning and investment queries)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... A company called Buckland recently posted an interim report stating that it has an operating profit before tax but a post-tax loss due to discontinued operations. The loss is much smaller than that posted this time last year and the...

Mid-term security.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answers readers' financial planning and investment queries)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... I have some sterling capital available for investment in the UK and would appreciate some advice on the avenues open for medium-term deposits, say two to three years, with reasonable security of capital. Ideally, I would like the interest to be...

The money doctor: Andrew Merricks addresses the perennial problem of when a fund becomes a victim of its own success.(Money doctor)
December 1, 2006... When the Fidelity Special Situations fund became the 'Fidelity Special Splits' a few weeks ago, there was a great deal written about fund size and the effects it has on performance itself. Fidelity was criticised in some quarters for the way 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, 2006... CAUTIOUS OPTION Martyn Ingram, fund analyst at Investors' Partnership, suggests a recently launched income fund from a management house with a strong reputation in the sector. Glasgow Mackintosh High Income was launched in February 2006 so...

Unit trust performance tables.(UNIT TRUSTS OEICs)
December 1, 2006... 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 2006, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

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, 2006... CAUTIOUS OPTION John Moore, manager of the collective investments service at Brewin Dolphin, feels that cautious investors have a window of opportunity to get into a trust that offers long-term growth and low volatility. The shares of...

Investment trust performance tables.(INVESTMENT TRUSTS)
December 1, 2006... Investment trust performance tables The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and 10 years to 31 October 2006, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so...

The Little Book of Value Investing.(What Investment Book club: New titles to improve your investing)
December 1, 2006... The Little Book of Value Investing by Christopher H Browne Author Christopher Browne has been a part of Tweedy, Browne Company for more than 30 years, the oldest value-investing firm on Wall Street. His firm has previously counted Benjamin...

Bets and the City.(What Investment Book club: New titles to improve your investing)
December 1, 2006... Bets and the City by Sally Nicoll Bets and the City is based on Sally's enormously popular column for Finspreads. She says, "I soon discovered that most traders and spread betters go broke within the first year. And I was determined that...

Investing with Anthony Bolton--2nd Edition.(What Investment Book club: New titles to improve your investing)
December 1, 2006... Investing with Anthony Bolton--2nd Edition by Anthony Bolton and Jonathan Davis What are the secrets of Anthony Bolton's success? This important book, now fully revised and updated, takes an in-depth look at the way that Bolton goes about...

The UK Stock Market Almanac 2007.(Book of the month)
December 1, 2006... The UK Stock Market Almanac 2007 by Stephen Eckett This Almanac provides a comprehensive guide to the next financial year and offers a wide range of information both on those companies listed on the London Stock Exchange and on matters of...

House prices in Northern Ireland break all records.(UK HOUSE PRICES)
December 1, 2006... The annual Fate of house price inflation in the UK increased by 6.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2006, according to Nationwide Building Society's quarterly figures. This is the fastest rate of annual growth since the first quarter of...

Best buys performance tables.
December 1, 2006... Unsecured Personal Loan Selection Monthly payment Lender Contact APR 1,000 [pounds sterling]--Over one year Northern Rock ...

Look before you let: everyone seems to have heard about someone who has made a fortune out of buy-to-let, but what do you need to do to achieve success as a landlord? Experienced buy-to-let investor David Lawrenson has some suggestions.(Buy-to-let)
December 1, 2006... Back in the early 1900s about 90 per cent of properties were rented from private landlords, but tough rent laws after the Second World War all but killed it off as a business opportunity until the Thatcher government realised in the 1980s that...

Best ways to save.(REFERENCE)
December 1, 2006... Best ways to save Telephone Account Number INSTANT ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Manchester BS 0161 833 8880 Premier Plus Post Office 0800 169...

Personal pension annuity rates.(REFERENCE)
December 1, 2006... 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...

Warning: the downward slide has begun.(from the editor)
December 1, 2006... Dear Reader, These are tough times for investors. Because it's not the same world it was 5 years ago, one year ago, or even a few weeks ago. The reason is very simple. Markets move in great, long cycles. While we don't always know...

Five time-bomb investments to sell now!(from the editor)
December 1, 2006... On 30 June 2004 your financial world changed--radically. No bells sounded. No alarms went off. Only a single magazine even noticed--our own, MoneyWeek. Since 30 June 2004, it has been a very different world for investors. The major trend...