What Investment articles from February 2005

What Investment archives from February 2005

Investors who love too much.(Comment)
February 1, 2005... February means Valentine's Day and thoughts of love. While this may seem to have little to do with the investment world, where cold, hard cash rules, we can sometimes get a bit sentimental about the contents of our portfolio. Stories abound of...

In the red alert.(News)
February 1, 2005... Lloyds TSB is offering its internet banking customers a text alert service. Personal and business customers can sign up to receive details of their current account balance and a list of recent transactions on their mobile phone. They can choose...

Watch and learn.(News)
February 1, 2005... Halifax Share Dealing has added a video tutorial to its website. 'Corporate Actions Explained' explains the mechanisms behind rights issues, new offers and takeovers. The explanations are illustrated with animated diagrams, and you can choose...

ISA price cuts.(News)
February 1, 2005... F&C Asset Management is waiving the initial charge on its investment trust ISAs for customers who apply before 31 May. This means the limits for this tax year and the next can be invested for only the 2 per cent dealing commission. Outside...

All change.(News)
February 1, 2005... New Star has renamed three global funds in its fund of funds range. The New Star Fund of Funds Portfolio has been renamed the New Star Balanced Portfolio, the Performance Portfolio becomes the New Star Active Portfolio, and the Global Growth...

Millions wasted in fund charges.(News Round-up)
February 1, 2005... Investors are wasting millions of pounds by paying the full initial fees when buying new funds, according to research carried out by IFA Bestinvest. In the 12 months to the end of October 2004, investors may have spent some 89 million [pounds...

Some hope for splits investors.(News Round-up)
February 1, 2005... A 194 million [pounds sterling] package has been put together to compensate investors who lost money in the split capital investment trust crisis. The money will be provided by 18 fund managers and brokers who have reached agreement with the...

Staying put proves costly in 2004.(News Round-up)
February 1, 2005... Greed for further gains led 58 per cent of investors to hold on to stocks that subsequently fell in value, according to a survey by investment website ADVFN.com. This made it the biggest trading mistake of 2004. Other traders revealed they had...

Pick your own ISA.(News)
February 1, 2005... Stockbroker Hoodless Brennan has launched a self-select ISA and PEP service. Investors who are happy to act without advice can buy and sell holdings for a flat rate of 7 [pounds sterling] per trade. The annual management charge on the product...

Manager moves: a round-up of the comings and goings in the fund management world.(News Round-up)
February 1, 2005... James Foster, who left ISIS last year after a lengthy sabbatical, has taken on a new role at boutique fund management company Artemis. Foster, who managed ISIS's Strategic Bond and Extra Income Bond funds will take responsibility for the...

Brown's Budget plans for savers; the Pre-Budget statement allows the Chancellor to trial his plans for the main event. We look back to see what he had to offer investors.(news)
February 1, 2005... Gordon Brown's Pre-Budget Statement was made in December. Among the main points were: * A review of ISA limits. In the previous year's statement he announced plans to cut the annual ISA allowance in April 2006, from 7,000 [pounds sterling]...

Top ten funds.(news)
February 1, 2005... UNIT TRUSTS One year 1 Aviva Euro Conv Eq P1 143.16 2 UBS (Lux) Eq Fund--Ctrl Euro B 142.23 3 Jupiter Emg Euro Opps Acc 135.76 4 Aberdeen Property Share 135.34 5 Manulife...

New 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 opportunity.(news)
February 1, 2005... * Core Growth Capital Private equity partnership Core Growth Capital has launched two venture capital trusts (VCTs). Core VCTs I and II will offer investors tax-efficient access to small and mid-sized UK companies. They will invest in parallel,...

Lawrence House.(Product of the month)
February 1, 2005... New independent investment house Lawrence House Fund Managers has launched with an OEIC. The OEIC is split into three multi-manager subfunds: the Balanced Managed, UK Equity and Cautious Managed funds. The head of multi-manager funds is Alan...

Keydata.(Also launching this month ...)
February 1, 2005... The six-year investment offers to return twice any growth in the index between the starting date and March 2011, subject to a maximum of 80 per cent. There is a degree of capital protection: investors will receive all of their money back at the...

West Bromwich Building Society.(Also launching this month ...)
February 1, 2005... It has all the features of a mini cash ISA, and offers a guaranteed rate of 5.15 percent until 5 April 2007. The minimum investment is 1,000 [pounds sterling] and the maximum is 3,000 [pounds sterling], plus any funds transferred from an...

Nvesta.(Also launching this month ...)
February 1, 2005... The Rangemaster plan offers capital security and is linked to the FTSE 100. At each anniversary income is paid, provided the FTSE 100 has not moved more than 10 percent either up or down at anytime during the year. The income paid is 10...

Hostage to fortune: Keiron Root reviews the career of a man that illustrates the unpredictability of markets.(Lessons from history)
February 1, 2005... In last month's column, I referred to one of the defining moments in the career of John Allison, a man I described as "a truly legendary figure in the world of financial marketing". This month marks Allison's formal retirement from his current...

Recognising good advice: tied, multi-tied, depolarised--there are many types of adviser but how do you tell them apart? Nick Sudbury offers a guide to their distinguishing features and some tips on taking advice.(Financial advice)
February 1, 2005... The world of financial advice is changing, and with it the choices faced by consumers. Recent changes in legislation mean the artificial restrictions of the old system of polarisation no longer apply. Firms that were previously 'tied' to the...

Take AIM and prosper: this year the Alternative Investment Market marks its tenth birthday and, according to Tim Roberts of Cavendish Asset Management, it's growing up to be a good place for investors looking for diversity.(AIM investing)
February 1, 2005... As the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) approaches its ten-year anniversary, there certainly seems to be cause for celebration. Once the market for only very small companies, it is now coming of age and there are many reasons why private...

Wish you were here? Geographical diversification will offer another dimension to your portfolio, says Jo Tura, and it's not difficult to broaden your investment horizons.(Investing overseas)
February 1, 2005... Investing in companies listed on other countries' stock exchanges is just as easy as investing in UK stocks. Many brokers offer special accounts and provide overseas company research, and it is possible to invest in some very specialist stocks...

Easy as AVC?(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
February 1, 2005... My husband has additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) invested in the JPMorgan Fleming Managed Pension Scheme. We invested approximately 6,000 [pounds sterling] and stopped contributing some six years ago. It performed quite well to start...

Income seeking.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
February 1, 2005... Distribution trusts seem to be a good idea to help reduce inheritance tax, but I have a few questions: * I imagine investments that do not produce an income are best; but if, say, a distribution bond were included, would dividends have to...

Capital losses.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
February 1, 2005... In the 2001/02 tax year my holdings in Amerindo, Merrill Lynch New Energy and Henderson European Micro trust showed a loss Of 40,000 [pounds sterling]. Am I legally entitled to carry this loss to future tax years if I am ever fortunate enough...

Matters of trust: in an extract from A Complete Guide to Family Finance, Roderick Millar explains how to use a trust to reduce your family's IHT liability.(Family finance)
February 1, 2005... Lord Jenkins described IHT as 'a voluntary levy paid by those who distrust their heirs more than they dislike the Inland Revenue'. This sums it up fairly well. Much of it can be avoided--if you are willing to gift your assets early to your...

Colour me wealthy: self-select ISAs allow you to create the perfect blend of investments. In part two of our series, Harvey Jones asks the experts to put together some winning combinations.(Self-select ISAs)
February 1, 2005... The beauty of self-select ISAs is that they allow you to invest in direct equities as well as collective investment funds. This makes them ideal for those investors who are ready to take the leap into individual company shares in the hope of...

Missing millions: billions of pounds have become separated from their owners, and some of it could be yours. Harvey Jones explains how to track down stray investments.(Lost investments)
February 1, 2005... At least 15 billion [pounds sterling] has gone missing from the UK economy in recent years. The absent cash is sitting idle in forgotten bank and building society accounts, stocks and shares, insurance policy payouts, pension entitlements,...

Against the odds? Investors who visit one of the myriad spread-betting websites can make money even in a falling market.(Technology)
February 1, 2005... If you could devise a method of investing in the stock market that did not incur any explicit charges when you went in or any capital gains tax liability on any profits, and which enabled you see a positive return whether the price of your...

Capital Spreads: www.capitalspreads.com.(What's on offer online)
February 1, 2005... Capital Spreads claims its advanced technology and low overheads mean it can offer its customers the tightest possible spreads, covering shares, indices, commodities and currencies. Its trading platform automatically calculates a stop loss,...

Cantor Index: www.cantorindex.com.(What's on offer online)
February 1, 2005... This offers a wide range of financial index, commodity and sporting bets. Spread betting is available on most major stock market indices, sector indices and individual stocks as well as futures indices, options, bonds, interest rates,...

Finspreads: www.finspreads.com.(What's on offer online)
February 1, 2005... Finspreads offers bets on shares, stock markets, currencies, metals and commodities. There is a free eight-week correspondence spread betting course for new customers, as well as a programme of seminars for existing account holders. There is...

Easy2spreadbet: www.easy2spreadbet.com.(What's on offer online)
February 1, 2005... Easy2spreadbet is a subsidiary of Finspreads. The rationale behind the service is to make trading as straightforward as possible, with a minimum new account of only 100 [pounds sterling] and a 1p minimum bet size for the first eight weeks...

iDealing: www.idealing.com.(What's on offer online)
February 1, 2005... iDealing's management claims the service "has evolved from our experience as investors and internet users" which means it has concentrated on speed and reliability and spurned 'unnecessary graphics'. The site, therefore, has a somewhat spartan...

IG Index: www.IGindex.com.(What's on offer online)
February 1, 2005... IG Index was the first company to offer online spread betting in 1998 and continues to offer a very broad range of bets on individual shares and stock indices, currencies, commodities options and sporting indices. One of the more informative...

Tradindex: www.TradIndex.com.(What's on offer online)
February 1, 2005... TradIndex.com has one of the most comprehensive platforms, a similarly detailed online trading glossary, a minimum bet of 1 [pounds sterling] per point and a low minimum account opening level of 100 [pounds sterling]. New customers are...

BetonMarkets: www.betonmarkets.co.uk.(What's on offer online)
February 1, 2005... Not a spread betting service at all, but a firm offering fixed-odds bets on financial events. This site specialises in what it calls structured financial bets and mini-derivatives contracts, concentrating on the forex markets, individual stocks...

Global equities: world markets unmoved by tragedy: each month, What Investment speaks to fund managers focusing on five different asset classes and asks them to reveal the key issues currently driving their stock-selection decisions.(Asset Allocation)
February 1, 2005... The beginning of 2005 was dominated by the aftermath of the natural disaster that hit many Asian countries at the end of last year. However, while the human and reconstruction costs faced by these regions were heavy, stock market sentiment was...

Bonds: taking a short-term view.(Asset Allocation)
February 1, 2005... For the second month running the outlook for the bond market is dull--but that's not necessarily bad news. "Bonds had a better year in 2004 than many expected, and given our views on continuing low inflation and low interest rates, we think...

Commodities: Chinese appetite boosts metals.(Asset Allocation)
February 1, 2005... "Commodities should continue to make progress, although gold, often seen as a lead indicator for the commodities market, may lag," says Ewen Cameron Watt, head of investment strategy and research at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. "As US...

Property: notes of caution.(Asset Allocation)
February 1, 2005... Looking at the UK economy in general, Professor Andrew Clare, Legal & General Investment Management's consultant financial economist, believes the key factor for 2005 will be the direction of the UK's residential property market. "It is the...

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)
February 1, 2005... Wander through Frankfurt am Main these days and you can only suppress a sigh for what might have been. The gleaming towers of the impressive business district the Germans call Mainhattan contain more unlit office windows than you'd expect in...

Market view: Tom Winnifrith considers the outlook for UK shares.(UK Shares)
February 1, 2005... There was after all a 'Santa Claus rally' in December. Volumes were light--as one might have expected--so perhaps one should not read too much into raw numbers. However, equities rose in value across the board. In the UK a growing feeling that...

Stock performance.(UK Shares)
February 1, 2005... UK STOCK PERFORMANCE Rank Company Name Weight in 1 Month Index Return TOP 20 FTSE All-Share 1 Regent Inns 0.01% ...

FTSE 100 index.(UK Shares)
February 1, 2005... FTSE 100 INDEX Stock 1 month Rank 1 year Rank 3i Group plc 102.74 53 110.33 61 Alliance & Leicester PLC 107.17 27 108.15 65...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100.(UK Shares)
February 1, 2005... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 Rank Stock Price Dividend Yield (%) 1 BP 508 ...

Retailers sector view.(UK Shares)
February 1, 2005... The retail sector enjoyed a game of two halves in 2004. The first half saw reasonably strong underlying sales growth and a spate of bids for quoted companies from venture capitalists and, in the case of Marks & Spencer, the UK's most successful...

Retailers share view.(UK Shares)
February 1, 2005... Next has been the best-performing blue-chip for many years, managing to deliver strong trading statements even when its rivals were struggling. But this Christmas was so tough that even it slipped up, warning that profits over the period were...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European automobile and parts sector.(Stock Market Review)
February 1, 2005... The automobile industry remains one of the most fiercely competitive industries worldwide, and particularly so in Europe. With an abundance of global producers operating on the continental mainland, the industry's outlook appears set to be...

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, 2005... CAUTIOUS OPTION Andrew Graham, fund analyst at Allenbridge Investment Consultants, says cautious investors could take a look at the Investec Cautious Managed fund. In the Cautious managed sector the fund is ranked second out of 24 over...

Unit trust performance tables.(Unit Trusts OEICs)
February 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 December 2004, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

A history of forward thinking: Keiron Root meets a fund manager looking to invest today in the stock market stars of tomorrow.(Fund Manager Profile)
February 1, 2005... One of the key questions asked of fund managers who have established a strong performance record with one management house is whether they could maintain their track record if they moved to a new environment. Roger Whiteoak, manager of the...

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.(Investments Trusts Monitor)
February 1, 2005... CAUTIOUS OPTION Ryan Hughes, investment director at Chartwell Investment Management, feels the independently managed Personal Assets trust is a good choice for investors taking a cautious approach. The fund is ranked 11th out of 34 in the...

Investment trust performance tables.(Investment Trusts)
February 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 December 2004, on a mid-market basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

Best ways to save.(Reference)
February 1, 2005... Best ways to save Telephone Account Number/Website INSTANT-ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Lambeth BS 0500 200020 Premier Save Scarborough BS ...

Personal pension annuity rates.(Reference)
February 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...

Top-performing unit-linked pensions.(Reference)
February 1, 2005... Top-performing unit-linked pensions Five years to 31 December 2004. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-bid basis with gross income reinvested. Name Value Rank ...

ISA directory.(Financial Contacts)(Directory)
February 1, 2005... ISA Directory NAME OF NAME & ADDRESS SCHEME TYPE Abbey National[R] Investments ISA Stocks & Shares Tel: 0800 30 20 30 Safety Plus Growth ...