What Investment articles from March 2005

What Investment archives from March 2005

More is more.(Comment)
March 1, 2005... Child trust funds have arrived and I am probably not the only person to reflect ruefully on what I would have done, had I received a tidy lump sum on my 18th birthday. Probably not what my parents would have hoped. But today's toddlers...

Turning a blind eye.(March news)
March 1, 2005... Investors are failing to review their portfolios, according to research by fund management company New Star. Out of 617 seasoned investors questioned, 37.1 per cent admitted they never check on their portfolio. Almost 14 per cent said they...

Kickout kicks off.(March news)
March 1, 2005... Skipton Building Society is offering the FTSE Kickout Bond, a structured investment which will track the FTSE 100 index. The bond offers a 100 per cent capital guarantee so investors will receive their money back even if the index falls or...

Get up to date online.(March news)
March 1, 2005... Investors looking for the latest stock market news can find it on our website, www.whatinvestment.co.uk. The news section now features details of the top risers and fallers in the market, dividend announcements and broker recommendations....

Named and shamed, or acclaimed.(News Round-up)
March 1, 2005... Two surveys have picked out the best and the worst of the fund market. A massive 10.8 billion [pounds sterling] of investors' cash is being held in 'dog' funds, according to research from IFA Bestinvest. The latest edition of its Spot the Dog...

Pensioners suffer from lower annuities.(News Round-up)
March 1, 2005... Annuity rates continued to decline in 2004 and are now 41 per cent lower than in 1994, according to research by Investment, Life & Pensions Moneyfacts. The research company found that a 60-year-old male spending 10,000 [pounds sterling] on a...

All for one at Barclays.(News Round-up)
March 1, 2005... Barclays has put together a range of multi-manager portfolios offering links to 17 fund management houses. The portfolios are designed to meet different investment objectives and the range includes an Income fund, a Balanced fund and an...

Framlington fund opens to bigger audience.(March news)
March 1, 2005... Framlington has opened its Managed Balanced fund to private investors. The fund is designed to offer a smoothed return over the long term and avoid unnecessary volatility. The portfolio is well-diversified and holds around 150 stocks. The fund...

A round-up of the comings and goings in the fund management world.(Manager moves)
March 1, 2005... Following last month's news that James Foster had been recruited by Artemis to manage a new retail bond fund, the boutique fund manager has announced that it has taken on Alex Ralph, one of Foster's former colleagues at F&C. Ralph, who had been...

ISA investors save.(March news)
March 1, 2005... Allianz Global Investors is waiving the initial fees on PEP and ISA transfers into its investment trusts. Until 30 June, investors will not have to pay the standard 0.5 per cent dealing charge or the 20 [pounds sterling] transfer fee. The...

High rate for tax savers.(March news)
March 1, 2005... Alliance & Leicester has launched a mini cash ISA offering an interest rate of 5.40 per cent. The Direct ISA is available from branches and online with a minimum deposit of 1 [pounds sterling]. Deposits and withdrawals can be made through your...

L&G offers cashback.(March news)
March 1, 2005... Investors who open a Legal & General index-tracking ISA before 13 May will have their annual management fee for 2005 refunded. The offer applies to lump-sum investments made directly to L&G into one of its eight ISA-able unit trust trackers....

Bricks-and-mortar ISA.(Still undecided on your ISA? As the end of the tax year looms, we round up the news on individual savings accounts)
March 1, 2005... Close Brothers Investment has launched an ISA offering exposure to the UK property market. The ClosePIP ISA holds a property fund of funds offering access to a range of different types of commercial property investment. Among the...

Investors urge ISA review.(Still undecided on your ISA? As the end of the tax year looms, we round up the news on individual savings accounts)
March 1, 2005... Investors are unhappy with the changes made to ISA rules, according to a survey by Interactive Investor. The financial website asked its users what it thought should happen to ISAs. Some 96 per cent of respondents said they wanted to see the...

Top ten funds.(March news)
March 1, 2005... UNIT TRUSTS One year 1 Aviva Euro Converg Eq P1 142.98 2 UBS (Lux) EgFnd CntrlEuro B 140.52 3 European Asset Value Fund 137.56 4 JPMF Middle East Eq A USD 136.55 5 Aberdeen Property Share ...

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.(March news)
March 1, 2005... * Nationwide Building Society Nationwide Building Society has launched a fund aiming to provide a return above the Bank of England base rate after charges. The Target Return Fund is a low-risk investment which will be managed for the...

HSBC.(Product of the month)
March 1, 2005... HSBC is among a number of providers launching a child trust fund to house the 250 [pounds sterling] paid out by the government to children born on or after 1 September 2002. Up to 1,200 [pounds sterling] can be added to the investment each...

Charles Stanley.(Also launching this month ...)
March 1, 2005... Stockbroker Charles Stanley has launched the Alpha SIPP, a self-invested personal pension open to investors with an initial fund of 25,000 [pounds sterling] or more. Investors can use the Collectives Portfolio Service, which invests in actively...

The AA.(Also launching this month ...)
March 1, 2005... The AA is offering a new online savings account. The AA Internet Savings Account offers a rate of 5.31 per cent on balances of 1 [pounds sterling] and above. This includes an introductory bonus of 0.6 percent, payable for the first 12 months....

Dawnay Day Quantum.(Also launching this month ...)
March 1, 2005... Structured investment specialist Dawnay Day Quantum is giving investors the opportunity to obtain direct exposure to commodities shares with full capital protection. The Protected Commodities Accelerator II is a four-year investment offering...

Too great expectations: Keiron Root puts the current modest investment returns into context.(Lessons from history)
March 1, 2005... It is strange how our memories fade as the years go by. What seems an intense crisis, perhaps even a matter of life and death at the time, tends to fade into a distant and if not exactly pleasant, but certainly bearable memory. Take the...

Professional jugglers: multi-manager funds allow you to leave asset allocation decisions in the hands of the experts. Sharon Smith explains how they work.(Multi-manager funds)
March 1, 2005... Multi-manager funds invest in funds from other investment groups. The aim is to maximise performance by selecting the best manager in each class while lowering the fund's risk profile through diversity. Multi-manager funds became hot news when...

Don't miss out: whether you're making last-minute arrangements or new (tax) year resolutions, there are a number of steps you can take to reduce your payments to the taxman. What Investment offers some suggestions.(Tax planning)
March 1, 2005... Time flies and already we are approaching the end of another tax year. No-one likes to hand over more than necessary to the taxman, so if you have yet to use this year's allowances, now is the time to consider how best to do so. There is still...

Building an ISA online: in the final part of our series on self-select ISAs, Harvey Jones looks at the options for people who want to put together a portfolio on the web.(Technology)
March 1, 2005... Sometimes you have to tip your hat to technology. Imagine how difficult it would be to run a self-select ISA using old-fashioned paper. And how expensive, with hefty stock-broking fees to pay every time you wanted to execute a deal, plus a...

Looking behind the facade: the term 'structured product' confuses some investors and scares others. A better understanding of how they work is vital if you are considering buying one.(Guaranteed investments)
March 1, 2005... Investors who have lost billions of pounds in precipice bonds would find it hard to credit the argument that structured products have a role to play in every portfolio. The view of supporters of structured products, however, reflects the array...

SIPPs abroad.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
March 1, 2005... I have a query involving the new rules that will allow a pension-holder to purchase a residential property and hold it within a SIPP from April 2006. Can the property be purchased in Eire as a holiday letting proposition? If so, would any...

Losing faith.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
March 1, 2005... I have 150,000 [pounds sterling] to invest, and like many retired people--I am 70--my pension fund has gone down a black hole. I am interested in obtaining a good rate of interest with minimum risk. Rathbone Income is a fund I have been...

Out in the cold.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
March 1, 2005... I am one of the 15,000 investors who invested in zeros from one of the four firms who have so far refused to participate in the FSA's settlement scheme. Consequently I will not get any compensation in the 194 million [pounds sterling]...

Help in deed.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
March 1, 2005... I am in a higher tax bracket than my wife and would like our joint bank account interest to be treated as being hers for tax reasons. The Inland Revenue has sent me Form 17 which states that bank accounts are always split 50:50 unless a...

Missing investments.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
March 1, 2005... I have noticed that the tables on the New Offers pages often contain funds that are not listed in the tables at the back of the magazine. In the February issue several of the top ten unit trusts didn't appear in the unit trust listings. Why is...

Finding growth in income: investors looking for growth shouldn't rule out equity income funds, says Adrian Shandley, managing director of IFA Premier Wealth Management.(Investment strategies)
March 1, 2005... The idea that the best growth is often achieved by income funds can be a difficult concept to grasp. But in my view it is an indisputable fact that income funds produce more consistent, more predictable and less volatile returns--certainly over...

A good start: the child trust fund is designed to teach the benefits of long-term investing and provide a nest egg for the adults of the future. Hilary Osborne looks at the choices it poses for their families.(Child trust funds)
March 1, 2005... Bringing up a child is an expensive business and it no longer ends when your offspring turns 16. Today's teenagers are likely to stay on in education and remain in the family home until they are at least 18. But imagine if you could ensure that...

Emerging opportunities for investors: each month, What Investment speaks to fund managers focusing of five different asset classes and aks them to reveal the key issues currently driving their stock-selection decisions.(Global equities)
March 1, 2005... The global economy remains on the road to recovery, although it may take some time to get there, "2005 should be the second year of the mid-cycle recovery," says Bob Michaelson, chief investment officer at Sagitta Asset Management. "Economic...

Investors still set on fixed-income.(Bonds)
March 1, 2005... Market research conducted by New Star Asset Management has shown that experienced income investors currently favour bonds over equities. The research is based on a survey of 641 seasoned investors who were each asked what fund they would choose...

Iron underpins strong growth.(Commodities)
March 1, 2005... The past year has seen investment flowing into the commodities markets, according to specialist commodities hedge fund manager Global Advisors. Danny Masters, portfolio manager of the Global Advisors Discretionary Program, puts the massive...

Housing stock tops 3 trillion [pounds sterling].(Property)
March 1, 2005... If further proof were needed of the rapid recent growth in property values, research from Halifax shows that the value of the UK private residential housing stock stood at 3.3 trillion [pounds sterling] at the end of 2004. This is 50 per cent...

Market insider: Israel: continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for Israel.(World Markets)
March 1, 2005... In theory, there's never been a better moment for thinking about investing in Israel. Now that the moderate politician Mahmoud Abbas has been safely installed as Yassir Arafat's replacement, the prospects for peace seem brighter than they've...

Market view: Tom Winnifrith considers the outlook for UK shares.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2005... December's "Santa Claus Rally' was followed by the 'January Effect', Share prices just went up across the board and indeed on both sides of the Atlantic. Industrials led the way with the price of both hydrocarbons and metals spiking higher--an...

FTSE 100 index.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2005... FTSE 100 INDEX Stock 1 month Rank 1 year Rank 3i Group plc 104.95 20 111.64 62 Alliance & Leicester PLC 97.97 78 108.52 69 Alliance Unichem PLC ...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2005... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 Rank Stock Price Dividend Yield (%) 1 BP 523 2.92% 2...

Housebuilders sector view.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2005... Housebuilding stocks are either the cheapest sector on the market or the most expensive. There is no middle ground. If you are a bear you believe that British house prices and sales volumes will fall sharply (20 per cent perhaps) this year and...

Housebuilders share view.(UK Shares)
March 1, 2005... Persimmon is the largest of the UK builders and at 750p it is capitalised at 2.1 billion [pounds sterling]. On 21 December it served up a robust trading statement, pointing out that it had a very strong forward order book (550 million [pounds...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European banking sector.(Stock Market Review)
March 1, 2005... This year looks set to be an interesting one for pan-European banks. Key performance issues for 2005 revolve around Europe's macroeconomic environment, exposure to both US and Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets and the possibility of...

Cautious option.(Unit Trust Best Buys)
March 1, 2005... Zahid Nawaz, senior portfolio manager at HSBC's Private Clients division, suggests the Schroder Gilt and Fixed Interest fund for a client who has a cautious risk profile. The fund is ranked 17th out of 25 funds in the UK Gilt sector over three...

Balanced option.(Unit Trust Best Buys)
March 1, 2005... Phil Clements, investment director at Towry Law, suggests a fund from the UK All Companies sector for investors taking a balanced approach. His choice is Invesco Perpetual UK Growth, run by Ed Burke. It is ranked 25th out of 244 funds over...

Aggressive option.(Unit Trust Best Buys)
March 1, 2005... Ryan Hughes, investment director at Chartwell Investment Management, says investors willing to take a risk should consider the Jupiter Emerging European Opportunities fund. In the Global Emerging Markets sector the fund is ranked first out of...

Unit trust performance tables.(Unit Trusts OEICs)
March 1, 2005... The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 31 January 2005,on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can compare them against trusts...

Poacher turned gamekeeper: Keiron Root meets a fund manager who uses his experience as a salesman to identify potentially undervalued stocks.(Fund manager: profile)
March 1, 2005... Ian McVeigh came relatively late to fund management, having spent nearly 20 years as an equity salesman before running funds of his own. But his experience of the institutional side of the investment process has proved very useful when...

Cautious option.(Investment Trust Best Buys)
March 1, 2005... Tim Cockerill, head of research at Rowan & Co Capital Management, suggests that risk-averse investors consider the packaged units of the M&G High Income trust. In the Splits: Income Shares sector it is ranked sixth out of 23 funds over three...

Balanced option.(Investment Trust Best Buys)
March 1, 2005... John Moore, manager of the collective investments service at Brewin Dolphin, suggests investors who are willing to take some degree of risk consider the Albany Investment Trust. In the UK Growth sector the fund is ranked ninth out of 21 over...

Aggressive option.(Investment Trust Best Buys)
March 1, 2005... Nick Greenwood, head of investment trusts at iimia, suggests that investors who are willing to take an aggressive approach look to the Eaglet trust. This can be found in the UK Smaller Companies sector where it is ranked 26th out of 29 over...

Investment trust performance tables.(Investment Trusts)
March 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 January 2005, on a mid-market basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

Best ways to save.(Reference)
March 1, 2005... Best ways to save Telephone Number/Website INSTANT-ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Lambeth BS 0500 200020 Scarborough BS 0845 458 4458 Woolwich Via branch...

Personal pension annuity rates.(Reference)
March 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)
March 1, 2005... Top-performing unit-linked pensions Five years to 31 January 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)
March 1, 2005... Financial Contacts ISA Directory NAME & ADDRESS NAME OF TYPE MAXI/ SCHEME MINI Abbey National[R] Investments ISA ...