What Investment articles from June 2005

What Investment archives from June 2005

The future is already here.(Comment)
June 1, 2005... It is the best part of nine years since I last penned an Editorial Comment for What Investment and I am not sure if it is reassuring or depressing to see how many of the same issues that were exercising investors' minds then are still high on...

Supermarket library.(June news)
June 1, 2005... Free online access to fund information is now available via fund supermarket FundsNetwork. The fund supermarket has joined forces with information portal FundsLibrary to give investors access to the annual reports and accounts of almost 900...

Correction.(June news)(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2005... In the May issue of What Investment we published a piece about the new rules that will allow all FSA-authorised retail investments to be held in an ISA wrapper. The piece failed to mention that the new rules would not take immediate effect--in...

Retirement income.(June news)
June 1, 2005... Skipton Building Society has introduced a new savings account for its customers who receive a pension. Savers electing to pay their state or private pension into the new 'Pension Plus' account will receive an initial variable rate of 4.50 per...

Splits payouts.(News Round-up)
June 1, 2005... Investors who have lost money in split-capital investment trusts have until 18 July to apply for compensation from Fund Distribution Limited (FDL). Payments will be made to investors who have suffered a loss through investing in zero dividend...

Passing out.(News Round-up)
June 1, 2005... Research conducted by financial website MoneyExpert.com shows that investors who keep their cash in accounts with passbooks are receiving interest rates that are, on average, 1 per cent lower than other instant-access accounts. According...

Updated open-ended guide.(News Round-up)
June 1, 2005... The IMA has updated its Directory, a free guide to all authorised unit trust and OEIC funds managed by its members. Funds are listed by sector, with comparative information on charges and minimum contribution levels. The guide also sets out...

A round-up of the comings and goings in the fund management world.(Manager moves)
June 1, 2005... Key moves have occurred near the top of certain major fund management houses. John Ainsworth, chief executive at Old Mutual Asset Managers, has decided to leave the group some time this year, having largely reshaped the business during his...

Top ten funds.(June news)
June 1, 2005... UNIT TRUSTS One year 1 Aviva Euro Conv Eq P1 131.64 2 MLIIF Latin American A2 USD 131.34 3 Schroder ISF Latn Ame A Acc 129.75 4 Old Mutual UK Slct SmCos Inc Dub 129.64 5 JI Latin America...

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.(June news)
June 1, 2005... * AXA Investment Managers AXA Investment Managers has launched the first UK-listed European and UK real estate fund. The AXA Property Trust will initially be invested in fixed income, but money will be moved into property. It will target a...

Friends provident.(Product of the month)
June 1, 2005... Friends Provident has launched a range of individual pensions incorporating the new stakeholder-charging structure. The Personal Range includes an individual personal pension (IPP) and an individual stakeholder pension (ISP), each of which...

Coventry Building Society.(Also launching this month ...)
June 1, 2005... Savers aged 60 and over are being offered their own range of accounts by Coventry Building Society. The first two deals to be launched are the Sixty-Plus Saver and Sixty-Plus Bond. The saver account offers an initial interest rate of 6 per...

Newcastle Building Society.(Also launching this month ...)
June 1, 2005... Newcastle Building Society is giving investors a choice of two Balanced Income Options Bonds. Both are split equally between an equity-linked five-year bond and a cash element offering a monthly income. The equity element will pay out 85 per...

National Savings & Investments.(Also launching this month ...)
June 1, 2005... National Savings & Investments has launched a tenth issue of its guaranteed equity bond. The bond runs for five years and offers a return equivalent to 125 per cent of any growth in the FTSE 100 index. The minimum investment is 1,000 [pounds...

Plus ca change: Keiron Root looks at how recent General Elections have affected the stock market.(Lessons from history)
June 1, 2005... OK, hands up all those of you who are relieved that the General Election is now over. And now raise your hands if you took hardly any notice of what the politicians were up to between Easter and polling day. Now I am prepared to wager on two...

A gift from Gord? In his Budget Gordon Brown announced the advent of a 50-year government bond. Stuart Anderson discovers what these long-dated gilts mean for private investors.(Long-dated gifts)
June 1, 2005... On 26 May 2005 the government auctions off an issue of the longest-dated bonds in recent UK history--with a maturity date of 7 December 2055. At the time of writing, details of the size of the issue and its interest rate remained sketchy, but...

Dealing with IT: online share-dealing services offer a one-stop shop for investors who don't need advice. Stephen Spurdon reviews the current offerings.(Technology)
June 1, 2005... Several years after the dot.com boom and day-trading scene of the late 90s, online share dealing is a well-established feature of the financial landscape. Indeed, if you want an execution-only service there is little reason to look elsewhere,...

Picking stocks to fit: whether you know it or not, your investment approach probably has a certain style about it. Rupert Walker outlines the main methodologies and explains how fund managers track down shares that suit them.(Stock picking)
June 1, 2005... Simon Cawkwell gained his first 15 minutes of fame and the sobriquet 'Evil Knievil' when he wrote accurate warnings about Robert Maxwell's dodgy accounting in the early 1990s. Since then he has thrived as a spread-better on both horses and...

The uncommon touch: you can say goodbye to call centres and hello to bespoke investment strategies and individual tax planning if you sign up with a private bank.(Private banking)
June 1, 2005... The distinction between private banking and wealth management has become increasingly blurred in recent years. In fact Antonia Blake, head of marketing at Butterfield Private Bank, says the line between them is so fuzzy that the terms are now...

Smoothing the waters: paying little and often into a fund allows you to ride out the market ups and downs that could capsize a lump-sum investment.(Regular investments)
June 1, 2005... Choosing the right day to make an investment can be crucial to your prospects for making positive returns. Or, more accurately, avoiding the wrong day can improve the performance of your equity investments. Take, for example, an investor who...

PET subject.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
June 1, 2005... Following our feature on inheritance tax (IHT) in the April issue we had several letters from readers about the tax treatment of potentially exempt transfers (PETs). These were among them: As I understand it, on death PETs have the first...

The right balance.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
June 1, 2005... I have accumulated several years' savings in cash ISAs and would like to be sure I am getting the best rate. The tables you show in the magazine each month show the best rates for 1,000 [pounds sterling] and 3,000 [pounds sterling], but I have...

Misplaced trust.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answers' readers' financial planning and investment queries)
June 1, 2005... In 1986 my wife and I took out a Provincial Life Optimum Investment plan in trust for the absolute benefit of our daughter. (Provincial Life later became Scottish Provident.) We wanted to remove the plan's value from our estate. The company...

Cash IT in.(Money clinic: A panel of independent experts answers' readers' financial planning and investment queries)
June 1, 2005... I invest in two Gartmore investment trusts, paying 100 [pounds sterling] into each one each month. I would like to realise some of my holding in one of the trusts to raise about 1,500 [pounds sterling]. How do I go about doing so? Do I ask to...

Winning strategies: in the second of a two-part series on reaching retirement, Nick Sudbury explains how to make the most of your pension pot using income drawdown and phased retirement.(Reaching retirement: Annuity alternatives)
June 1, 2005... For those without a final-salary pension scheme the most common way to produce an income in retirement is to buy an annuity. Many appreciate the certainty of income that this provides, but the main drawback is the lack of flexibility and...

The great non-event.(Global equities)
June 1, 2005... The major event in the UK over recent weeks has been the General Election, but with no great surprises, the effect on the stock market has been muted. Nicola Kerslake, of the Investment Management Unit at SEI, comments: "It came as no real...

A cathartic experience.(Bonds)
June 1, 2005... Stephen Snowden, manager of the Old Mutual Corporate Bond Fund, suggests that the high-profile downgrades of the corporate bonds issued by General Motors and Ford are actually a positive sign for the fixed interest market. He asserts:...

The key role of the oil price.(Commodities)
June 1, 2005... Guy Monson, chief investment officer at Sarasin Chiswell, observes that the first quarter of 2005 was "on the surface, a quiet period for financial assets, but the markets certainly didn't feel dull as oil prices reached an all-time high. The...

Solid foundation for property.(Property)
June 1, 2005... Michael Barrie, director of property funds at F&C, suggests that, although total returns on UK commercial property have slowed over the last quarter to more sustainable levels, the investment market still remains buoyant. He says: "There were...

Market insider: China: continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for China.(WORLD MARKETS)
June 1, 2005... China: it's the world's biggest country, with 1.3 billion people. It's growing at 9.5 per cent a year, and its industries are churning out 15 per cent more goods and services than they were a year ago. It has the world's biggest mobile phone...

Market view: Tom Winnifrith considers the outlook for UK shares.(UK SHARES)
June 1, 2005... April was not a good month for the markets generally and it was the second-liners (the FTSE 250 index) and the AIM index, the two biggest stars of the past year that fared worst. The FTSE 100 ended the month down just 1.9 per cent at 4,801.7...

FTSE 100 index.(UK SHARES)
June 1, 2005... FTSE 100 INDEX Stock 1 month Rank 1 year Rank 3i Group plc 95.01 61 108.23 60 Alliance & Leicester PLC 96.46 51 103.59 71 Alliance Unichem PLC ...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100.(UK SHARES)
June 1, 2005... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 Rank Stock Price Dividend Yield (%) 1 BP 534 3.14% 2 HSBC...

IT hardware sector view.(UK SHARES)
June 1, 2005... The IT Hardware sector lost 22 per cent by value in April. Looking at the headlines in the newspapers, one might imagine that the whole tech world is preparing to revisit the horrors of a few years ago: Marconi may sack half its workforce and...

IT hardware share view.(UK SHARES)
June 1, 2005... Northgate Information Solutions provides software solutions mainly for local government and other public service agencies such as the police. It also has a large presence in the human resources market. Its shares crashed, along with the rest of...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European Banking sector.(STOCK MARKET REVIEW)
June 1, 2005... At the start of this year, we downgraded our rating on the European banking sector to neutral. Already, we have seen the negative impact of higher global interest rates and oil prices on consumer confidence and sentiment and there is no real...

Cautious option.(Unit Trust Best Buys)
June 1, 2005... Stephen Marriott, fund analyst at Bestinvest, points cautious investors in the direction of a bond fund with a core of investment-grade holdings. New Star Sterling Bond is ranked 13 out of 65 funds in the UK Corporate Bond sector over three...

Balanced option.(Unit Trust Best Buys)
June 1, 2005... Gillian Cardy, principal of IFA Professional Partnerships, suggests a fund of funds approach for those looking for a balanced investment. The IMS Select Fund is ranked 12 out of 74 funds in the Active Managed sector over one year to 29 April...

Aggressive option.(Unit Trust Best Buys)
June 1, 2005... Martyn Ingram, fund analyst at Investors' Partnership, finds a truly aggressive portfolio focused on the frontier markets of Eastern Europe. Neptune Russian & Greater Russian Securities appears in the Specialist sector, but was only launched in...

Unit trust performance tables.(UNIT TRUSTS OEICs)
June 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 29 April 2005, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

Thinking outside the box: Keiron Root looks at a fund with a genuine global reach and a manager who is not afraid to back his team's best ideas.(FUND MANAGER: PROFILE)
June 1, 2005... Jeremy Podger thought carefully about his choice of career on leaving university, and the manager of the Threadneedle Global Select Growth fund was attracted to the cerebral aspects of the fund management business. He recalls that "I read...

Cautious option.(Investment Trust Best Buys)
June 1, 2005... John Moore, manager of the collective investments service at Brewin Dolphin, suggests a relatively recently launched fund with a clearly defined investment objective to appeal to cautious investors. Launched last summer, Ruffer Investment...

Balanced option.(Investment Trust Best Buys)
June 1, 2005... Charles Cade, head of investment trust research at Close WINS, returns to a stalwart of the sector for a balanced option. The shares of Alliance Trust are ranked 20th out of 34 in the Global Growth sector over three years to 29 April 2005. Over...

Aggressive option.(Investment Trust Best Buys)
June 1, 2005... Nick Greenwood, head of investment trusts at iimia, puts the spotlight on a small-cap specialist with a strong long-term track record but a large current discount. The shares of Eaglet are ranked 24th out of 95 in the UK Smaller Companies...

Investment trust performance tables.(INVESTMENT TRUSTS)
June 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 29 April 2005, on a mid-market basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

Best ways to save.(REFERENCE)
June 1, 2005... Best ways to save Telephone Number/Website INSTANT-ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Lambeth BS 0500 200020 Manchester 0870 990 0810 Scarborough BS 0845 458...

Personal pension annuity rates.(REFERENCE)
June 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)
June 1, 2005... Top-performing unit-linked pensions Five years to 29 April 2005. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-bid basis with gross income reinvested. Name Value Rank ...

ISA directory.(Financial Contacts)(Directory)
June 1, 2005... Financial Contacts ISA Directoty NAME & ADDRESS NAME OF TYPE MAXI/ SCHEME MINI Abbey National[R] Investments ISA Stocks &...