What Investment articles from March 2004

What Investment archives from March 2004

Missing the bounce?(Comment)
March 1, 2004... 'With just a matter of weeks left before the close of the 2003/4 ISA season, many investors find themselves facing something of a dilemma: to invest or not to invest, to return to the equity market after the rally in 2003 or to opt for bonds or...

US share tips.(News)
March 1, 2004... www.USASharetips.com, a financial investment information website offering UK investors the opportunity to trade knowledgeably in the US equity market, has been launched. Subscribers to the site will receive a weekly e-newsletter containing a...

Profit from property.(News)
March 1, 2004... The Property Secrets Investment Barometer (PSIB) has been launched to provide property investors with a predictive measure of the UK housing market. The PSIB works by focusing on six fundamentals affecting the property market: housing market...

Nothing but a hound dog.(News)
March 1, 2004... Bestinvest, the investment analyst and broker, has published its latest Spot the Dog guide exposing over 15 billion [pounds sterling] of failing funds. Scottish Widows is the group with the largest pack of 'dogs': it has 2.2 billion [pounds...

No big ideas.(News Round-up)
March 1, 2004... An ISA season free of 'big ideas' is good news for investors, according to ISIS Asset Management. "In past years the 'PEP/ISA season' has invariably been dominated by a 'must have' product class which has whipped investors into action,"...

Eight out of ten investors said ...(News Round-up)
March 1, 2004... Eight out of ten investors are considering switching banks this year, according to research from internet bank Smile. Rather surprisingly, the research found that we are more likely to change our current account due to a bad experience such...

Kids online.(News Round-up)
March 1, 2004... This month sees the launch of www.savingforehildren.co.uk, a website dedicated to the increasingly complex subject of saving for children. The service offers an independent source of information for DIY investors about the full range of...

The white stuff.(News Round-up)
March 1, 2004... Liontrust First Income has topped the latest annual Principal Investment Management White List for the best-performing equity income funds. Other funds making it to the top of the White List include ISIS Stewardship, Rathbone Income,...

Annuity rate decline slows.(News Round-up)
March 1, 2004... The decline in annuity rates slowed over 2003, according to the Investment, Life & Pensions Moneyfacts annual annuity review. Average rates for a male aged 60 buying a standard level annuity without guarantee with a purchase price of 10,000...

Beat Brown with bonds.(News)
March 1, 2004... IF A Chartwell has produced the Beat Brown With Bonds review for investors looking to invest in corporate bonds this ISA season. It highlights the coming tax changes to income on equity dividends, and gives details on a selection of...

Simply does it.(News)
March 1, 2004... Execution-only stockbroker TD Waterhouse has introduced a simplified pricing structure offering online traders a flat rate of 12.50 [pounds sterling] per trade. The rate applies to online nominee accounts, ISAs, PEPs and SIPPs. Online trades in...

TESSA-only ISA.(News)
March 1, 2004... Bristol & West has launched the Global 100 TESSA only ISA. The ISA pays 100 per cent of the average growth in four international stock markets (FTSE 100, SMI, S&P 500 and Nikkei 225) over the five-year term. The account also guarantees the...

Taking issue: Nic Cicutti reports on the latest issues rocking the world of finance.(March news)
March 1, 2004... Are we turning into a nation of investors once again? As I write this column, the evidence appears to indicate that we are--albeit tentatively. Figures from the Investment Management Association appear to indicate that more money is...

Top ten funds.(News)
March 1, 2004... top ten funds Unit trusts One year 1 Marlborough Special Sits 193.61 2 Artemis New Enterprises 190.70 3 HSBC GIF Indian Equity 190.69 4 Framlington Japan 188.18 5...

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)
March 1, 2004... * JP Morgan Fleming JP Morgan Fleming has informed a new investment trust, JP Morgan Fleming Elect, to provide investors with three distinct fund choices within a single investment: Managed Growth shares, Managed Income shares and Managed...

M&G.(Product of the month)
March 1, 2004... M&G has added the M&G Strategic Corporate Bond fund to its range of fixed income funds. The fund will have a concentrated portfolio of at least 80 per cent investment-grade bonds, with up to 20 per cent invested in the best opportunities across...

Britannic Asset Management.(Also launching this month ...)
March 1, 2004... Britannic Asset Management is offering a 'cashback' incentive across its range of equity investment trusts until 30 April 2004. The cashback will equate to 3 per cent of the initial investment if fund performance is below the performance of the...

Newcastle Building Society.(Also launching this month ...)
March 1, 2004... Newcastle Building Society has launched a two-year account with a return linked to the performance of the FTSE 100. The Short Term FTSE Bond offers 14 per cent return at the end of the term if the FTSE 100 remains unchanged or rises. Capital is...

Managers on the move: should you stay or should you go? What investment looks into the reasons behind recent fund manager moves.(Fund managers)
March 1, 2004... The fund management merry-go-round continues to turn but the most significant move during January featured a prominent manager going against the recent trend. JO Hambro Capital Management (JOHCM) announced that it bad recruited Scott McGlashan...

ISAs for all seasons: with the FTSE 100 nudging 18-month highs and investor confidence slowly returning, sales of ISAs look set to recover.(Focus: ISAs)(Cover Story)
March 1, 2004... The so-called ISA season, where financial advisers, discount brokers and fund managers shift bucketloads of investment funds in the run-up to the annual 6 April deadline, has been a washout for the last couple of years. Plunging stock markets...

From little things ... big things grow: can a concentrated fund portfolio give your investments the edge in current market conditions? What Investment investigate.(Focus funds)
March 1, 2004... Age-old wisdom tells you that diversifying your investments in order to spread risk is the most sensible way to create a balanced portfolio. It is in fact what the financial press and fund management groups have been telling you for years,...

Stands and delivers: can a fund manager take an ethical stance and deliver decent returns? Simon Hildrey looks at the evidence.(Socially responsible investing)
March 1, 2004... Fifteen years ago it was pretty cool to be green. Everyone wanted to recycle their household waste, use CFC-free products and fit their cars with a catalytic converter. Today the story's a little different. Many of us are still happy to trundle...

Service with a smile: the more affluent amongst us can bypass the call-centre-dominated face of modern-day banks by opting for the personal service of a private bank. Nick Sudbury looks at what these premier packages have to offer.(Private banking)
March 1, 2004... Private banking traditionally referred to the discreet and personal service offered by small, family-run banks. Nowadays, however, it not only signifies the top-of-the-range packages available from the remaining traditional banks but also...

Abroaden your horizon: do offshore open-ended funds have a place in your portfolio? Martyn Ingram of The Investors Partnership examines the evidence.(Offshore funds)
March 1, 2004... If you told you friends that you were planning to make some offshore investments, what would they think? Chances are they might start wondering whether you were getting fed up with the amount of money that the UK government was raking off of...

Joining forces: what happens when investment funds merge? And do investors have any say in the matter?(Q & A)
March 1, 2004... Mergers and acquisitions have become a common feature of the investment market in recent years, but when two fund management houses get together, product duplication can be a significant problem for investors and management groups alike. What...

Tech a chance: What Investment reviews the prospects for the global technology sector.(Technology)
March 1, 2004... After a difficult start to 2003, when many technology companies saw their share prices at new lows by March, the technology sector has experienced a broad and, some might say, unexpected recovery. While pessimists argue that technology stocks...

Tech fund performance.(Technology)
March 1, 2004... Tech fund performance 6 months 1 year UNIT TRUSTS Abbey National Technology 101.06 17 124.09 21 AEGON Tech Tactical Acc A 102.09 16 129.42 16 Artemis New Enterprises ...

United Kingdom: economic sweet spot.(World Markets)
March 1, 2004... 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. The UK market remains attractive and should continue to...

United States: going cheap.(World Markets)
March 1, 2004... The weak dollar should lead to the revival of industrials and blue-chip companies Keith Wade, chief economist at Schroder's, feels that US interest rate rises will come later rather than sooner. "We have decided to bite the bullet and push...

Europe: good cheer.(World Markets)
March 1, 2004... Fund managers remain bullish about European prospects but cautious in the short term "As always, opportunities still exist across the region for the careful stock-picker," says Matthew Leaman, manager of the SocGen European Growth fund....

Far East: in volatile mode.(World Markets)
March 1, 2004... Valuations remain attractive and fears over avian flu are providing a strong buying opportunity "The markets of the region have been in volatile mode since the end of 2003," says Michael Watt, manager of the Henderson TR Pacific investment...

Japan: uncertain times ahead.(World Markets)
March 1, 2004... 2004 will be an acid test for Japan as to whether domestic demand can respond to external stimulus "Having been taken by upside surprises during most of 2003, forecasters were hit by a downside shock in the final weeks of last year," says...

Emerging Markets: onwards and upwards.(World Markets)
March 1, 2004... With the right risk controls in place, the emerging economies could be a profitable place for investors "Emerging markets are only just re-entering the radar screen for many investors who suffered during the late 1990s," says Guy Monson,...

Market insider: United States: continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for the USA.(World Markets)
March 1, 2004... "Erratic' is one of those pointed words that analysts will sometimes use to describe America's economic statistics. 'Wishful' and 'thinking' are two more that come to mind. But 'baffling' is the one that looks most like taking us through to...

Market view.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2004... It was not a bad month for UK equities, if you exclude the huge weightings of oil and pharmaceuticals within the FTSE 100. A shock restatement of its reserves knocked Shell (and hence the oil sector) for six while disappointing numbers from...

UK stock performance.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2004... UK STOCK PERFORMANCE Company Weight in 1 Month Rank Name Index Return TOP 20 FTSE All-Share 1 Ashtead Group 0.01% 69.35% ...

FTSE index.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2004... FTSE 100 INDEX Stock 1 month Rank 1 year Rank 3i Group Inv Tr 103.72 26 133.09 47 Abbey National 109.23 6 149.46 22 Alliance &...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2004... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 Divi- dend Divi- Yield dend Rank Stock...

Housebuilders sector view.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2004... The UK housebuilders find themselves in the FTSE Construction & Building material sector. The key point to remember about this industry is that there are effectively no barriers to entry. Anyone with a bit of capital can buy some land, hire...

Housebuilders share view.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2004... Morgan Sindall is mainly a construction company but worth including in this review as its big growth operation is the niche market for the provision of social housing for local authorities and housing associations. Given demographic trends mad...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European oil sector.(Stock Market Review)
March 1, 2004... The oil sector represents a significant proportion of equity markets around the world. While oil shares may not be the biggest beneficiaries of an economic recovery, they should still be considered as a pre-requisite for any balanced portfolio....

European stock performance.(Stock Market Review)
March 1, 2004... European stock performance Company Weight In 1 Month Rank Name Index Return Top 20 FTSE World Europe 1 Reuters Group 0.14% 40.58% 2 EMI...

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)
March 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Sue Whitbread, director of discretionary portfolio management at Chartwell Investments, highlights a new fund for investors who do not want to take too much investment risk. The M&G Strategic Corporate Bond fund was...

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

Planning your exit route: Keiron Root meets Mark Costar, a fund manager who believes that knowing what to sell is more important than knowing what to buy.(Fund Manager Profile)
March 1, 2004... Mark Costar is a stock picker, and a highly successful one. Having built up an impressive track record running UK equities for Clerical Medical Investment Group (now part of Insight Investment), he is now generating similar levels of...

Investment trust best buys: What Investment asks three investment trust specialist to recommend their favorite investment trust shares for a cautious, a balanced and an aggressive investments.(Investment Trusts Monitor)
March 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Nick Greenwood, head of investment trusts at iimia, offers cautious investors the zero dividend preference shares issued by the Royal London UK Equity & Income Trust. Launched in September 2001, these shares are ranked 38...

Investment trust performance tables.(Investment Trusts)
March 1, 2004... Investment trust performance tables What the tables show The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 30 January 2004, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested....

Credit cards.(Money Clinic)
March 1, 2004... Although this is not strictly an investment-related enquiry, I have made a New Year's resolution to sort out my general finances and wish to change my credit card provider. I am paying a high APR on my current card and was hoping you could tell...

With-profits.(Money Clinic)
March 1, 2004... I invested 3,000 [pounds sterling] in a with-profits bond with Friends Provident in September 1999. My yearly statement shows that the current value of my bond is 3,404.37 [pounds sterling]. However, if I cash it in now, I will receive 2,669.03...

Japan recovery?(Money clinic)
March 1, 2004... I invested 3,000 [pounds sterling] into the JPMorgan Fleming Japan fund about five years ago and have been disappointed with the performance to date. While I was aware that Japan was a volatile sector, I invested on the back of assurances that...

Dividend tax credits.(Money clinic)
March 1, 2004... Following on from the enquiry last month into the abolition of the 10 per cent tax credit on dividends that are paid within equity ISA and PEP investments, could you please confirm which sectors will be affected by the change in regulation. Is...

Best ways to save.(Money Facts)
March 1, 2004... Best ways to save Telephone Number/Website Account INSTANT ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Scarborough BS 0845 458 4458 Easy Saver Alliance & Leicester 08000...

Personal pension annuity rates.(Reference)
March 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)
March 1, 2004... Top-performing unit-linked pensions Five years to 30 January 2004. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-bid basis with gross income reinvested. Name Value Rank ...