What Investment articles from June 2004

What Investment archives from June 2004

Point of departure.(Comment)
June 1, 2004... 'Unless you've been in hiding for the last month or so, you will probably have read about the imminent departure of David Mitchinson, manager of the Framlington Japan fund, who is set to join the Japanese equity team at JP Morgan Fleming this...

Taxing times.(news)
June 1, 2004... The Investment Management Association has published a free guide to help unit trust and OEIC investors understand what information to include in their 2003/04 tax return. The factsheet shows investors how to fill in their tax voucher and...

VCT guide.(news)
June 1, 2004... Hargreaves Lansdown has published the latest edition of its guide to venture capital trusts. Outlining all the recent Budgetary changes to this sector, this guide also looks at how VCT managers select investments and the tax benefits of...

Pick-'n'-fix.(news)
June 1, 2004... Skipton Building Society has launched a range of fixed-rate bonds. The one-year bond has a rate of 5.2 per cent gross per annum, the two-year bond has a rate of 5.5 per cent gross per annum, and the three-year option has a rate of 5.65 per cent...

Quote unquote.(news)
June 1, 2004... Website www.unquotedanalyst.com has been launched by financial website publisher t1ps.com. The new site is an FSA-regulated source of free news and analysis on the OFEX market. It also includes webcasts of CEOs of selected companies and a free...

Sell in May.(News Round-up)
June 1, 2004... The old City saying to "sell in May and go away, return again on Leger Day" is not a myth, according to research from stocks and shares website ADVFN (www.advfn.com). The study reveals that the FTSE 100 has risen 3,157 points from 1984...

Insurance expansion.(News Round-up)
June 1, 2004... Healthcare provider HealthSure has launched HealthSure, a new private medical insurance policy to provide cover in dental and optical care, treatments often excluded from mainstream PMI policies. Policyholders will be able to claim back the...

Pick of the flops.(News Round-up)
June 1, 2004... Investors looking to pick a winning investment fund should look beyond the best-buy tables and consider funds that are way down the performance league, according to research from Close Wealth Management. The research shows that six of the...

The rising sun.(News Round-up)
June 1, 2004... Discounts to net asset values in the Japanese investment trust sector have narrowed considerably, according to the latest figures from the Association of Investment Trust Companies. The figures suggest that as the recovery of the Japanese...

Fund best buys.(news)
June 1, 2004... Personal finance website Everyinvestor has launched a best-buy fund service designed to enable investors to build a portfolio of funds that are expected to outperform their respective sectors over the medium to long term. Each month,...

Ample offer.(news)
June 1, 2004... Online financial services company Ample has joined forces with www.msn.co.uk to offer all MSN customers a 10 [pounds sterling] flat fee on all UK trades. The new sharedealing service with Ample will also offer MSN users free access to Ample's...

E-finance manager.(news)
June 1, 2004... FinanCity, a personal finance website, has been launched to enable investors to manage their personal finance information electronically in one location. The site allows investors interested in enquiring about or applying for products, to send...

Taking issue: Nic Cicutti reports on the latest issues rocking the world of finance.(News)
June 1, 2004... Amid an otherwise uncertain UK stock market performance in recent months, one shining exception has been that of the smaller quoted companies sector. The FTSE Small Cap index grew from 1,831 to almost 2,650 in the 12 months to early April,...

Top ten funds.(news)
June 1, 2004... Unit trusts One year 1 Framlington Japan 226.44 2 Legg Mason Japan Equity 219.10 3 Marlborough Special Sits 199.13 4 Invesco Perpetual Jap Sm Cos 194.66 5 M&G Japan Smaller...

Credit Suisse Asset Management.(New offers)
June 1, 2004... Credit Suisse Asset Management has launched the Credit Suisse Target Return fund in response to investor demand for an investment-grade product that provides positive returns with a moderate level of risk whatever the market conditions. The...

Legal & General.(New offers)
June 1, 2004... Legal & General has launched the Capital Protection Plus 4, which is designed to pay investors a minimum return of 22 per cent or 50 per cent of any capital growth in the FTSE 100 index at maturity on 23 June 2010, whichever is greater....

Nvesta.(New offers)
June 1, 2004... Structured product provider Nvesta has launched the FTSE 100 Secure Tracker, a six-year investment plan offering 105 per cent of any rise in the FTSE 100, with no maximum and 100 per cent capital protection. Alternatively, investors can select...

JO Hambro.(Product of the month)
June 1, 2004... JO Hambro Capital Management has launched the JO Hambro Japan fund. Managed by Scott McGlashan, the fund will be actively managed and aim to achieve long-term growth through investment in 40 to 60 attractively valued stocks. The fund will be...

Keydata.(Also launching this month ...)
June 1, 2004... Keydata has launched the Dynamic Growth Plan 9, a six-year plan offering triple the growth of the FTSE 100 up to a maximum of 60 per cent. Capital is protected unless the FTSE 100 falls by more than 40 per cent over the investment term and...

Insight Investment.(Also launching this month ...)
June 1, 2004... Insight Investment has launched the Investment Protection System, available on a range of its multi-manager funds. The new feature takes some of the risk out of equity investment by ensuring that, at the time of death, a portfolio will never...

Baronsmead VCT 4.(Also launching this month ...)
June 1, 2004... Baronsmead VCT 4, managed by ISIS Equity Partners, has announced an offer for subscription to issue three million new shares. The offer is open until 22 June 2004 unless fully subscribed before that date. Call 0845 600 61 66.

National Savings & Investments.(Also launching this month ...)
June 1, 2004... National Savings & Investments has increased the investment limit on Index-linked Savings Certificates and Fixed-Interest Savings Certificates to 15,000 [pounds sterling] per issue, up from the previous maximum of 10,000 [pounds sterling]. Call...

Newcastle Building Society.(Also launching this month ...)
June 1, 2004... Newcastle Building Society has launched the five-year Guaranteed Blue Chip Bond. The performance of this product is linked to a basket of 20 blue-chip stocks but there is no risk to the capital invested. The minimum investment is 500 [pound...

Verdict.(Also launching this month ...)
June 1, 2004... Verdict: Philip Johnson says: "This plan has a six-year term with a minimum investment of 3,000 [pounds sterling]. It offers 105 per cent of any rise in the FTSE 100 index with no maximum and has 100 per cent capital protection at maturity....

Managers on the move: should you stay or should you go? What Investment looks into the reasons behind recent fund manager moves.(Fund managers)
June 1, 2004... If anyone needed convincing that successful fund managers are a highly prized commodity then the events of the past few weeks will surely have done so. Just before we went to press, it was revealed that David Mitchinson (see Fund Manager...

Weighing your options: looking to set up a portfolio for income or for capital growth? Harvey Jones explains your options.(Focus: portfolio management)
June 1, 2004... For most people there are just two reasons to invest: for income or for capital growth, and at certain points a combination of the two. Your decision will largely be determined by your age. Younger investors need to build a pot of cash and...

Big fish bite back: smaller companies benefited strongly from last year's economic recovery but the big fish look ready to bite back.(Blue chips)
June 1, 2004... The stock market made a very welcome return to positive territory in 2003 to bring to an end a near four-year period of falling prices. The strong recovery saw the FTSE 100 index, which measures the performance of the country's 100 largest...

Safety in numbers: What Investment assesses the growth of the multi-manager market and looks at how such products add value for investors.(Multi-manager)
June 1, 2004... Difficult to locate--they inhabit a range of habitats from the Active Managed sector to the Global Growth and UK All Companies sectors--and almost impossible to compare--they employ a variety of investment processes and apply a range of...

Making up lost time: David Harris examines the government's failed attempts to close the UK savings gap.(Regular savings)
June 1, 2004... According to the Association of British Insurers the UK has a 27 billion [pounds sterling] annual savings gap. This is the difference between what we currently save and what we should be saving in order to have a pension equivalent to 50...

Specialist annuities: Simon Hildrey explains why everyone should shop around for an annuity on retirement.(Q&A)
June 1, 2004... Few people get excited by annuities, which probably explains why few people bother to shop around for the best deal on retirement. Despite the fact that it is now more than 18 months since the FSA introduced rules stipulating that life offices...

Self-assessment sites: Jo Tura reviews the best online information sources for self-assessment seekers.(Technology)
June 1, 2004... Over the years Hector, Mrs Doyle and now the nameless grey-looking man have all exhorted us to get our self-assessment tax returns in on time, with varying degrees of success. Filling in the forms each year can seem a daunting task but, as the...

United Kingdom: trouble ahead? A mix of strong consumer spending and a strong pound is not a good recipe for strong profits growth.(World Markets)
June 1, 2004... "We maintain a neutral stance on UK equities," says Jonathan Asante, chief economist at Framlington. "We are becoming more concerned that the economy could be facing a sharp consumer slowdown. This makes careful stock picking crucial." The...

United States: on the up: the recent improvement in the economic newsflow has increased the possibility of an early rise in US interest rates.(World Markets)
June 1, 2004... "Recent employment data from the US demonstrates that the economy is still growing strongly," says Philip Barleggs, head of asset allocation at Insight Investment. "While we expect a slowdown to occur over coming quarters, it is likely that...

Europe: remaining fragile: inflation remains below target and economic recovery is faltering.(World Markets)
June 1, 2004... "The outlook for the European economy continues to disappoint," says Jonathan Asante, chief economist at Framlington. "After several months of strength, economic indicators are starting to decline. We cannot see any improvement in the short...

Far East: hot to trot: the outlook for domestic demand is generally positive for Asia, with rising consumer credit and improving consumer confidence.(World Markets)
June 1, 2004... "While Asia is expected to continue to be at the forefront of global growth, the Chinese authorities have been taking measures to moderate the economic expansion to prevent overheating," says Philip Barleggs, head of asset allocation at Insight...

Japan: slow but sure: corporate restructuring is slowly beginning to bear fruit whilst inflation is also creeping up.(World Markets)
June 1, 2004... "For the moment, Japan's strong recovery shows no sign of running out of steam and economists continue to revise their forecasts for growth this year higher," says Haydn Davies, chief economist at BGI. "But while, on average, economists expect...

Emerging markets: eyes to the East: Eastern European equity markets continue to be a growing area of interest in the investment community.(World Markets)
June 1, 2004... "Overall, we have a neutral stance towards the emerging markets," says Jonathan Asante, chief economist at Framlington. "However, rising risk-aversion is encouraging us to take a more aggressive approach in our emerging market portfolios,...

Market insider: South East Asia: continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for South East Asia.(World Markets)
June 1, 2004... It's not so very many months since the South East Asian region looked like a one-way bet. With China's huge economy growing at nearly 10 per cent a year, there seemed to be no reason to doubt that Beijing's wealth would benefit all its smaller...

Market view.(UK Shares)
June 1, 2004... April was one of those months when the FTSE 100 gives a very poor indication of the state of the UK stock market. The heavy weighting of oils (around a quarter of the FTSE 100) and of drugs (around a fifth) meant that because these two sectors...

Mining sector view.(UK Shares)
June 1, 2004... It has only been a few months since the last visitation upon the mining sector in this column, but so much has changed that a return is merited. As each day passes, fresh comparisons between the mining boom of 2004 and the internet bubble of...

Mining share view.(UK Shares)
June 1, 2004... FTSE 100 newcomer Antofagasta has been a cracking investment since 1998 when the market woke up to how rapidly its Chilean production was expanding. It has of course been helped by the copper price, which has recently hit nine-year highs. The...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European transport sector.(Stock Market Review)
June 1, 2004... After struggling through the past year due in part to global economic weakness, the war in Iraq, and the outbreak of the SARS virus, the airline industry is beginning to rebound. Both low-fare carriers and more traditional airlines have all...

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 Trust Monitor)
June 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Martyn Ingram, fund analyst at The Investors Partnership, suggests that even cautious investors should diversify part of their portfolios into North America. He highlights the Artemis North American Growth fund, which is ranked...

Unit trust performance tables.(Unit Trusts OEICs)
June 1, 2004... What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 30 April 2004, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

The rising sun: Keiron Root meets David Mitchinson, a fund manager generating impressive returns from the Japanese market.(Fund Manager Profile)
June 1, 2004... If there is one rule that most investors will have applied to their portfolios over the past 15 years it is that wherever in the world you put your money, make sure that it isn't Japan. Having generated spectacular returns throughout the 70s...

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)
June 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Nick Greenwood, head of investment trusts at iimia, offers cautious investors a well covered zero dividend preference share. The zeros issued by Royal London UK Equity and Income investment trust are ranked third out of 41...

Investment trust performance tables.(Investment Trusts)
June 1, 2004... The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 30 April 2004, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can compare them against trusts...

ABC of AVCs.(Money Clinic)
June 1, 2004... Some years ago I commenced paying into an in-house AVC organised by my employer. This was placed with Equitable Life. I have now retired and find that I have a fund valued at 12,000 [pounds sterling]. I have been told that I can now buy an...

Lotto money.(Money Clinic)
June 1, 2004... Just over three years ago I was fortunate enough to win 350,000 [pounds sterling] on the lottery. Without any advice, my wife and I decided to invest 150,000 [pounds sterling] each in a Standard Life with-profits bond. We take the annual bonus...

Performance statistics.(Money Clinic)
June 1, 2004... Last month we asked for your views on the relevance of short-term performance data, and for any requests for additional data within the magazine. Over the coming months, we will be printing a selection of the letters we receive. While we do not...

Best ways to save.(Money Facts)
June 1, 2004... Best ways to save Telephone Account Number/Website INSTANT ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Lambeth BS 500 200020 Premier Save Scarborough BS ...

Cash ISAs.(Reference)
June 1, 2004... CASH ISAs Company CAT Notice Deposit Interest Standard or Term Paid Yrly MINI CASH ISAs 1,000 [pounds sterling] Leeds & Holbeck BS No ...

Tessa-only ISAs.(Reference)
June 1, 2004... TESSA-ONLY ISAs Company CAT Notice Deposit Interest Standard or Term Paid Yrly TESSA-ONLY ISAs 3,000 [pounds sterling] Portman BS 08000680230 ...

National savings & investments.(Reference)
June 1, 2004... NATIONAL SAVINGS & INVESTMENTS Product Notice/ Deposit Deposit Term Min Max ACCOUNTS AND BONDS Easy Access Savings Instant 100 [pounds 2m [pounds ...

Personal pension annuity rates.(Reference)
June 1, 2004... 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)
June 1, 2004... Five years to 30 April 2004. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-bid basis with press income reinvested. Name Value Rank Balanced Managed SJP THSP Managed ...

ISA directory.(Financial Contacts)
June 1, 2004... Financial Contacts ISA Directory NAME & ADDRESS NAME OF SCHEME Abbey National[R] Investments ISA Tel: 0800 30 20 30 Safety Plus Growth...