What Investment articles from February 2007

What Investment archives from February 2007

A modern kind of inflation.(Comment--the bigger picture)
February 1, 2007... It seems like I am carrying on where I left off in last month's editorial, with increasing concerns that overstretched borrowers are going to be finally pushed over the edge by the latest rise in interest rates. As I pointed out last month--and...

Long-term balance.(February news)
February 1, 2007... Close Ventures has launched a 20 million [pounds sterling] subscription for shares in the Close Enterprise VCT, available until 4 April 2007. Up to 50 per cent of the fund's assets will be invested in the leisure sector and related areas, in...

Rising ISAs.(News Round-up)
February 1, 2007... Individual Savings Account (ISA) season will be particularly buoyant in 2007, according to Fidelity FundsNetwork, which is forecasting a 30 per cent rise in its own ISA fund sales. A Government commitment to make ISAs permanent made at the end...

Self-service savings.(News Round-up)
February 1, 2007... Scarborough Building Society has launched a new easy access account with a rate of 5.5 per cent. The Click and Save account, which offers this rate on balances of at least 1,000 [pounds sterling], allows access via post and phone without notice...

Rebuilding frontiers--F&C strengthen emerging equities.(News Round-up)
February 1, 2007... F&C Asset Management has revamped its emerging markets fund after a number of key hirings. The retail emerging equities fund is now described by F&C as a 'best-ideas focus fund'. Jeff Chowdry, head of emerging equities at F&C, has dropped the...

Increased investment due for real estate.(News Round-up)
February 1, 2007... This year will see increased investment into real estate security funds, with 79 per cent of investors expected to invest in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) via funds, according to Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP). In a...

Book offer.(February news)
February 1, 2007... The Only Three Questions that Count is the recently published book by American investment guru Ken Fisher, which takes a practical look at investment psychology and focuses on three key questions that, in Fisher's view, underpin all successful...

Societies on the move.(News Round-up)
February 1, 2007... There will be a further five further building society mergers in 2007, according to business advisory firm Deloitte. The UK's 61 building societies will have to get leaner and smarter to survive, a Deloitte report called Fighting Our Corner...

Recent moves.
February 1, 2007... These are the latest fund manager moves announced to the beginning of March 2006. 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.(February news)
February 1, 2007... Top ten funds UNIT TRUSTS One Year 1 JF China A (dist) USD 166.59 2 Baring Hong Kong China USD 162.55 3 Allianz RCM China--A--USD 160.88 4 iShares...

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 potential.(February news)(Company overview)
February 1, 2007... * Baring Asset Management The UCITS-compliant Baring Russia fund has been converted from the New Russia fund, which was launched in March 1997. It has US$30 million under management and has returned 22.15 per cent annualised per annum...

The high interest rate myth: Keiron Root insists that the latest interest rate rise is insignificant, if you take a long-term view.(Lessons from history)
February 1, 2007... Although most of the Great and the Good amongst economists were expecting another rise in the UK base rate at some point in the first quarter of 2007, they weren't expecting it as early as 11 January. The announcement that the Bank of England's...

Building from the bottom: just because you have relatively small amounts to invest doesn't mean you shouldn't take a balanced approach to building a portfolio. What Investment asks a range of professionals for their suggestions for the best options for investors looking to save 50 [pounds sterling] each month.(Regular savings)
February 1, 2007... So you want to create an investment portfolio but lack the resources to do so immediately. Or you realise the importance of making regular savings to build up a nest-egg, but want something with more growth potential than a cash deposit. The...

High-octane performance: Keiron Root examines the reasons behind the dramatic rise in global commodity prices and the ways in which private investors can get exposure to this highly volatile asset class.(Investing in commodities)(Cover story)
February 1, 2007... Anyone with even a cursory interest in investment markets cannot fail to have noticed the dramatic rise in the prices of many commodities over the past few years. It was not that long ago that we were facing the spectre of US$100-a-barrel oil,...

Investing for growth: each month, What Investment focuses on a potential growth stock highlighted by our sister publication Investing for Growth.(Growth stocks)
February 1, 2007... 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...

Debtmatters--still undervalued.(CORE PORTFOLIO RECOMMENDATION)
February 1, 2007... We last recommended Debtmatters for the AIM Portfolio in October at 261 pence, since which the company has announced interims ahead of expectations. The share price has responded rising by 24% to 324 pence. If concerns about the alleged...

In association with the share centre: rules of engagement: Keiron Root opens our new series for Investment Club members by reviewing the ground rules of one successful UK fund manager.(Investment clubs)
February 1, 2007... The intention of this new column is to offer some practical ideas for active investors in the UK stock market, such as those who belong to investment clubs. We begin with the thoughts of Nick Train, a founding partner of investment boutique...

Market view: Tom Winnifrith sees competing influences affecting the movement of the stock market in 2007.(UK SHARES)
February 1, 2007... 2006 finished with a flourish as investors seemingly shrugged off fears of a tough Christmas and anticipated a bracing start to the New Year. This buoyant mood represented a refreshing change to the sluggish November, as trading volumes picked...

Sector view: retailers.(UK SHARES)
February 1, 2007... The quoted non-food retail sector is a complex bag, with seemingly endless variables to consider in order to determine the profitability and value of any given retailer. On the face of it, this is the sector that most investors will feel they...

Share View: HMV and Woolworths.(UK SHARES)
February 1, 2007... One group that suffered a particularly poor Christmas was music and books retailer HMV. The group, which is especially vulnerable to the growing online shopping trends, reported a 0.8 per cent fall in like for like sales during the Christmas...

European sector review: Henk Potts examines the impact of the increasing use of electronic communications on an ever-wider range of sectors.(UK SHARES)
February 1, 2007... It is fair to say the internet has revolutionised our lives, changing the way we communicate and even shop. While there are certainly a few who have remained unmoved by the world of opportunities just a click away, most of us want more and we...

Market insider: back to the future: foreign investors rediscovered their appetite for Japan when it began to look as if its economy was finally modernising, but are now having second thoughts. Michael Wilson considers the short-term outlook for investors in Japan.(WORLD MARKETS)
February 1, 2007... Right now, Shinzo Abe is a worried man--and not just because you have probably never even heard of Japan's new prime minister. No, the poor man has been running the country for nearly five months now, and he still has to convince the foreign...

Global equities: rising to the challenge: 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)
February 1, 2007... According to the research note put out by State Street Global Markets in mid-January: "2007 is proving a challenging environment for investors, with consensus trades being tested. Only two weeks into the year, the view that the US dollar would...

Bonds: could try harder.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
February 1, 2007... As might be expected, the Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) moves to raise interest rates at the beginning of January had a dynamic effect on the bond markets. Bryn Jones, investment manager for the Rathbone Ethical Bond, observed: "The...

Commodities: prices rise as stockpiles fall.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
February 1, 2007... Head of management group SVM Colin McLean reports: "We have an overweight position overall in the resources sector, mainly in mining and oil & gas, and have had that for about four years. This has delivered quite good performance over that...

Property: dousing the flames.(ASSET ALLOCATION)
February 1, 2007... It was almost inevitable that the property market would react unfavourably to the unexpected rise in interest rates at the beginning of January. Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) economist Oliver Gilmartin noted: "The most recent...

Retiring abroad.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answers readers' financial planning and investment queries)
February 1, 2007... Based in the UK, my investing has mainly been driven by the tax-efficiency of PEPs, ISAs and so on, of course with great help from What Investment. I am now thinking of retiring to Spain and will presumably lose my ISA benefits, etc. Also, I am...

Tight spreads.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answers readers' financial planning and investment queries)
February 1, 2007... I didn't think I was quite so dumb, but it seems I might be. I had always thought that the spread for shares was measured in a few percentage points and thought this was one of the points of clarity that makes investment trusts an attractive...

Means-testing.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answers readers' financial planning and investment queries)
February 1, 2007... For the past three years I have been looking after my wife and am worried that if she has to go into a home we would have to stump up the full cost of her care, if we both have savings over 21,000 [pounds sterling]. However, my solicitor has...

Paper trail.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answers readers' financial planning and investment queries)
February 1, 2007... I am looking for information regarding the share price histories for a number of banks and former building societies that have merged or amalgamated, for example Halifax and Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB, Midland Bank...

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, 2007... CAUTIOUS OPTION Tim Cockerill, head of research at Rowan & Co Capital Management, highlights the attractions of a fund with downside protection for cautious investors. The Close UK Escalator 95 fund is ranked 2nd out of 6 funds in the...

Unit trust performance tables.(UNIT TRUSTS OEICs)
February 1, 2007... What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 29 December 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)
February 1, 2007... CAUTIOUS OPTION Nick Sketch, investment trust analyst at Rensburg Sheppards, suggests that cautious investors would benefit from an investment with an element of capital protection. Harewood Energy & Base Metals 2 is structured fund...

How I Made $2 Million in the Stock Market.(Book club: New titles to improve your investing)
February 1, 2007... How I Made $2 Million in the Stock Market by Nicolas Darvas How I Made $2 Million in the Stock Market is an extraordinary book. It tells one of the most unusual success stories in the history of the stock market. Nicolas Darvas was not a...

The Harriman Book of Investing Rules.(Book club: New titles to improve your investing)
February 1, 2007... The Harriman Book of Investing Rules by Philip Jenks and Stephen Eckett For the first time, the tactics, strategies and insights relied on by 150 of the world's most respected financial experts are revealed in a concise, digestible form....

Funny Money.(Book club: New titles to improve your investing)
February 1, 2007... Funny Money by Nick Louth Retired civil servant Bernard Jones isn't, as he would be the first to agree, the world's greatest investor. The man who lost money with shares in Jarvis and Railtrack, and who retains a with-profits policy with...

Traders, Guns & Money.(Book of the month)
February 1, 2007... Traders, Guns & Money by Satyajit Das Warren Buffet once labelled derivatives "financial weapons of mass destruction". Unlike the military kind, financial WMD are not hard to find. Many great companies use them. These businesses use...

Best buys performance tables.
February 1, 2007... Figures correct as at 05.01.07 Unsecured Personal Loan Selection Monthly payment Lender Contact APR 1,000 [pounds sterling]--over one year ...

The missing link: using an offset mortgage to link up your personal finances could save you money and allow you to pay off your mortgage earlier. Pauline McCallion finds out more.(Offsetting)
February 1, 2007... Even if the focus of your financial strategy is managing your equity, bond or property investments, it is essential to have an emergency cash fund in place. What if you get caught out by an emergency that requires a quick and expensive remedy,...

Best ways to save.
February 1, 2007... Best ways to save Telephone Account Number INSTANT ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Post Office 0800 169 7500 Instant Saver Cheshire BS ...

Personal pension annuity rates.(REFERENCE)
February 1, 2007... An annuity is a financial product that converts capital into income. You can buy one with any lump sum of money or you call buy one with accrued pension funds. Currently, for money purchase pension funds, you must buy an annuity by the time you...

Financial contacts ISA directory.(Directory)
February 1, 2007... FINANCIAL CONTACTS ISA Directory Abbey Investments ISA Stocks & Both No Tel: 0845 7654321 Safety Plus Shares Both Yes Growth Option * Cash MARKS...