What Investment articles from February 2003

What Investment archives from February 2003

Higher, higher lower, lower. (Comment).
February 1, 2003... `Here in the What Investment office, we've been taking bets on the likely level of the FTSE 100 at the end of 2003. On the whole, we're a pretty positive bunch. Only one old miser, suffering no doubt from a serious case of yuletide...

Safe as houses?(Allenbridge Charles' Property Bond Guide)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Property Bond Guide has been launched by IFA Allenbridge Charles amid the confusion over the future potential for this market. It explains what property bonds are and looks at other issues such as taxation and product performance. For a...

Something for the kids.(JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management's Saving for Children Guide)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management has published a guide to saving for children, which explores the different options open to parents, grandparents and family friends who want to help give youngsters a financial head start. For a free copy of...

Special offer.
February 1, 2003... We have five copies of The 10-week Flexible Investment Plan--A Beginner's Guide to Stock Market Success, written by Alexander Davidson and published by Kogan Page, to give away. Based on the key skill of interpreting company accounts, the book...

Beware the packaging. (New Round-up).(investing for children)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Investment packages aimed at investing for children are not necessarily the best options according to IFA RJ Temple. "Whilst bank and building society accounts marketed at children tend to be very competitive, the same is not generally true...

VAT review. (New Round-up).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Association of Investment Trust Companies (AITC) is urging the government to take urgent steps to exempt the management expenses of investment trusts from VAT. Currently, the rules unfairly discriminate between investment trusts and...

See-through pensions. (New Round-up).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A new pension plan has been launched to provide those under the age of 75 with a tax-efficient and low-cost savings plan. The City of London Alliance Trust Pension plan is designed to be totally transparent, offering the opportunity to allocate...

Golden oldies. (February News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Experience is the key ingredient in outperformance amongst UK equity income fund managers according to the latest analysis of the fund management industry by Standard & Poor's. In an environment in which the FTSE Actuaries All Share Index...

Pension-poor performers. (February News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Pension funds continue to underperform with the average return for balanced pooled pension funds being just -14.7 per cent for the 11 months to the end of November 2002. These results from the HSBC Actuaries and Consultants latest IMAGE Survey...

New Year's resolutions. (February News).(attitudes on savings)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A whopping 42 per cent of the UK population has vowed to save more money in 2003 according to a survey carried out by Royal London. And with the current spend, spend, spend culture in the UK and the savings gap increasing month on month,...

Top marks. (February News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Lazard Fund Managers has come top of the table for consistency in a study carried out by IFA RJ Temple. The research, which considers fund performance over three discreet one-year periods, has identified the fund management groups who have the...

Speculate to accumulate. (February News).(bond offering)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Inora Life has launched Series 2 of the Offshore Generation Bond--Accumulator Growth Fund offering a return of 100 per cent of capital plus a minimum additional return over five years. The bond is open to investment until 28 February 2003 and...

Taking issue: Nic Cicutti reports on the latest issues rocking the world of finance. (February News).
February 1, 2003... I love investment theories, me. There's nothing better than a nice bit of investment theory to tell you where you are going wrong. Take the so-called `efficient market hypothesis'. This is a view that, at any given time, share prices fully...

Top ten funds.(unit trusts, investment trusts)
February 1, 2003... Unit trusts One year Performance 1 Merrill Lynch Gold & General 170.31 2 JPMF Natural Resources A Acc 117.94 3 Unicom Free Spirit Fund A Income ...

Killik & Co. (New offers).
February 1, 2003... Killik & Co has launched the Wrap Account, a multi-manager portfolio built--using its partner company 7IM's allocation model--to enable private investors to access the leading institutional fund managers through a single-fee product. The...

HSBC. (New offers).
February 1, 2003... HSBC has launched the HSBC Capital Protected Growth Plan, a structured product offering unlimited upside in the performance of the FTSE 100 over six years. Capital is 100 per cent protected. The product will mature early, enabling investors to...

Solus Funds. (New offers).
February 1, 2003... Solus Funds has launched a unitised multi-manager service offering investors three distinct investment portfolios: Balanced, Growth and International. Each portfolio will hold between 10 and 20 funds and will be managed by senior investment...

Gartmore. (Product of the month).
February 1, 2003... Gartmore has launched the Gartmore Cautious Managed fund, which will invest in a mixture of equities (up to 60 per cent) and bonds. The fund will be managed by Chris Burvill, who recently joined Gartmore from Investec Asset Management. The fund...

Skipton Building Society. (Also launching this month ...).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Skipton Building Society has launched the Three-Year Step Up Bond offering a rate of 4.25 per cent gross in year one, 4.75 per cent gross in year two and 5.25 per cent gross in year three. The minimum investment is 1,000 [pounds sterling]. Call...

Britannia International. (Also launching this month ...).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Britannia International has launched the Guaranteed Capital Equity Bond Issue 12 offering a potential gross return of 35 per cent if the FTSE 100 rises or remains the same over a five-year period. The minimum investment is 1,000 [pounds...

Friends Provident. (Also launching this month ...).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Friends Provident has added the Ecotec and Stewardship International funds to its Investment Portfolio Bond. Additional allocation rates are available on the bond until 31 January. Call 0800 00 00 80.

Keydata.(Keydata Investment Services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Keydata Investment Services is launching a second issue of its Dynamic Growth Plan offering twice the growth of the FTSE 100 over five years. Capital is at risk only if the index falls by more than 50 per cent and does not get back to its...

Panel of experts. (January News).(investment companies personnel management)
February 1, 2003... * Graeme Cumming is a financial adviser at Save & Invest * Patrick Connolly is an associate director at Chartwell Investment Management * Philip Johnson is a director at Kenwood Associates * Ben Yearsley is an investment manager at...

Managers on the move: should you stay or should you go? Keiron Root looks into the reasons behind recent fund manager moves. (Fund managers).
February 1, 2003... A combination of festive cheer and end of year lethargy meant there was little activity on the fund manager front this month. But after a hectic November in which every fund manager and his wife seemed to have changed jobs, and the prospect of...

ISA season now open: Harvey Jones welcomes in the 2003 ISA season with a review of your ISA options.(investment savings account)
February 1, 2003... The annual ISA deadline is fast approaching and those investors who fiddled while stock markets burned don't have long to get their act together. First, decide which type of ISA to invest in, maxi or mini (see box opposite), and whether...

IFA vs DIY: could you do it better yourself? Michael Drewett puts financial advisers to the test.(investment savings account)(do it yourself)
February 1, 2003... There used to be a generally accepted principle of life that `you get what you pay for'. But in this more self-interested and egotistical--not to say greedy--age, there is a growing reluctance to pay the going rate for a function or service...

Balancing act: Keiron Root asks whether 2003 is likely to be a happy New Year for large or small-cap stocks. (Small or large caps).
February 1, 2003... During the bull market of the 1980s, a theory evolved that when markets were rising, smaller companies did better than very large ones, whilst when markets were falling or even just rising relatively slowly, the larger `blue chip' companies...

Get your ratios right: do you know your PE from your Sharpe ratio? David Harris lends a helping hand. (Ratio analysis).(managing private investments)
February 1, 2003... Given the rough ride and disappointments that many have had in stock markets during the past two to three years, it's no surprise that some private investors are seeking to cut out the middleman, looking beyond the fund management industry and...

The pressure's off: equity release schemes have never been so popular but do they offer homeowners a good deal?
February 1, 2003... For 25 years, possibly more, your property will represent one of your biggest debts. Month after month of mortgage payments, repairs, extensions and insurance--isn't it time you got something back? Well now you can, for after years of...

Team building: what investment provides a step-by-step guide to setting up an investment club. (Q & A).
February 1, 2003... Find me a sentence where `fun' and `finance' get dual billing and I'll give you a fiver (this sentence doesn't count by the way!). "Can't be done," I hear you cry. Money is, after all, a very serious business. And yet there are ways of creating...

Where there's a will ...: what Investment reviews the online options for investors looking to make a will. (Technology).
February 1, 2003... Life's tough and then you die. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, the Inland Revenue then syphons off as much tax as it possibly can from your estate before your heirs get a look in. It doesn't have to be this way, of course, and...

United kingdom in good shape: each month, what investment speaks to the top-performing fund managers in six global markets, and asks them to reveal the key issues currently driving their stock-selection decisions. (World Markets).
February 1, 2003... With low interest rates and low inflation, the UK economy looks set for a period of steady, if unspectacular growth The UK market is ready to assert its independence from the US according to Andrew Clare, financial economist at Legal &...

United states profits back on the agenda. (World Markets).
February 1, 2003... The Bush Administration announces a series of support packages intended to prop up disillusioned investors "For most of 2002, global markets were soggy, but our research indicates that the forces that contributed to this are beginning to...

Europe promise of something better. (World Markets).
February 1, 2003... Opinion is divided on European prospects, but there's no denying that stocks look cheap "Whilst economic growth has been restrained in Europe by Germany's slow integration of East and West, as well as by lack of labour market deregulation,...

Far East: pick and mix. (World Markets).
February 1, 2003... The global economic slowdown continues to boost the outsourcing sectors in the Far East "The world's most populous countries, China and India are exclusive members of the `Billionaire Club' but they do not have the economies to match,"...

Emerging markets: Latin spirit. (World Markets).
February 1, 2003... Strong GDP and improving industrial data put Brazil top of the tree Throughout 2002, with the exception of September and part of October, the emerging markets of Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America continued to post a stronger...

Market insider: Turkey: continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for Turkey. (World Markets).
February 1, 2003... It's only taken us 39 years of talking to get to this point, but at long last it looks as though Turkey might be on its way to joining the European Club. Now that ten other East European countries have been accepted into the European Union as...

Market view. (UK Shares).
February 1, 2003... So much for a pre-Christmas rally. Evidence of a sluggish Yuletide Season on the high street prompted fears that 2003 would finally be the year when consumers stopped spending. Meanwhile, as the war drums pounded louder in the White House and...

FTSE 100 index. (UK shares).(Financial Time Stock Exchange)
February 1, 2003... FTSE 100 INDEX Stock 1 month Rank 1 year Rank Abbey National 80.00 94 55.87 86 Alliance & Leicester 90.98 61 97.09 26 Alliance...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100.(Financial Times Stock Exchange)
February 1, 2003... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 Rank Stock Price Dividend Yield 1 BP 418.5 3.79% 2 ...

Food retailers sector view.
February 1, 2003... The food retailers have started 2003 in traditional fashion: with a price war. Kicking off this year's margin destruction are Tesco and Asda--owned by the world's largest retailer: America's Wal-Mart. The other big players in UK food retailing...

Food retailers share view.
February 1, 2003... The biggest of the supermarkets is Tesco. Assuming it did not encounter any horrors over the Christmas period it is on track to deliver another year of 10 per cent-plus growth in earnings per share. The company's growth comes from a modest...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European utilities sector.
February 1, 2003... After a year of uncertainty for global economies and with calamitous accounting scandals from companies such as Enron rocking world stock markets, investors have, understandably, been staging a flight to safety. With the risk of a slowdown 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).
February 1, 2003... CAUTIOUS OPTION Gillian Cardy, principal of Professional Partnerships, suggests that cautious investors still wanting some exposure to the stock market should look at the Solus Income Portfolio fund. This fund ranks ninth out of 21 in the...

Performance tables. (Unit Trusts OEICs).
February 1, 2003... What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling over six months, one, three, five and 10 years to 31 December 2002, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

Chinese whispers: Keiron Root talks to Steve Luk about one of the secret strongholds in the world economy.
February 1, 2003... Through all the ups and downs of global stock markets, one constant theme over the past decade has been the growing importance of China as a world economic power. A country of 1.3 billion people, ruled by a centralised government apparently...

Investment Trust bets buys: what Investment asks three independent financial advisers to recommend their favourite investment trusts for a cautious, a balanced and ah aggressive investment. (Investment Trusts Monitor).
February 1, 2003... CAUTIOUS OPTION Charles Cade, head of investment trust research at Close WINS, offers a generalist fund with a value orientation as a long-term holding for cautious investors. British Empire Securities Trust shares are ranked second out of...

Performance tables. (Investment Trusts).
February 1, 2003... What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] invested over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 31 December 2002, on a mid-market basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you...

Should I TEP it? (Money clinic).(traded endowment policy)
February 1, 2003... TEPs seem to have gone out of fashion recently so can you tell me if they are still worth investing in? How do I know which are the best policies to go for? Should I consider a TEP fund instead of a single policy and if so which one should I go...

Splitting up. (Money clinic).(question and answer regarding investments with Aberdeen Asset Management PLC)
February 1, 2003... As a result of the crisis in the splits market, Aberdeen Asset Managers has received an incredible amount of bad press. I know that it is claiming that splits make up a very small part of its business but surely the incompetence displayed in...

The equity argument. (Money clinic).(question and answer regarding what constitutes a diversified portfolio )
February 1, 2003... I was always told that a sensible portfolio spread would include 60 per cent of my assets being invested into equities (either directly or through a collective fund). Does this maxim still apply in current markets or should investors be...

Blinding! (Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries).(question and answer regarding blind trusts and public officials)
February 1, 2003... I have been watching the goings-on with Mr and Mrs Blair with a great deal of interest. The newspapers seem to be saying that a blind trust was purchasing property on behalf of the Prime Minister and his wife. This seems perfectly normal. Their...

IFA panel.(independent financial advisors)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... * Gary Hexley, financial adviser at Weston Financial Group * John Cooper, financial adviser at Weston Financial Group

Best ways to save.(savings plans)
February 1, 2003... Best ways to save NO-NOTICE ACCOUNTS Company Account Gross Name Rate Balance of 500 [pounds sterling] Abbey National ...

Personal pension annuity rates. (Reference).
February 1, 2003... 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...

ISA directory. (Financial Contacts).(investment savings accounts)
February 1, 2003... ISA Directory NAME & ADDRESS NAME OF TYPE SCHEME Abbey National[R] Investments/ Stocks & Shares Tel: 0800 30 20 30 Tracker ISA Cash...

ISA 2003 from investors direct: looking for a fresh approach to healthier ISAs & PEPs?(investment savings account)(personal equity plan)
February 1, 2003... The Road to Recovery is a Broad One A fund manager friend in the late 1980's once suggested to me, that perhaps the best investment decision he had make ever, was his very fine town house in the centre of Edinburgh. By 1993, following...