What Investment articles from May 2002

What Investment archives from May 2002

Looking to the future. (Comment).
May 1, 2002... Incorporating many of the ideas you all kindly contributed in our recent readership survey--and more besides--over the summer months we will be introducing a new-look What Investment with an improved layout design and several new editorial...

SIPPly fantastic. (News Round-Up).(Winterthur Life offers new investment options)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Winterthur Life has launched The Universal SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) offering an extensive range of investment options from commercial property through to a specialist panel of portfolio managers and Winterthur Life's own tailored...

An annuity with choice. (News Round-Up).(Canada Life)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... With the government continuing to refuse to relax the rigid age 75 ruling for pensions, Canada Life has introduced the Annuity Growth Account to allow investors to put off the decision about buying a lifetime annuity until age 85. Options can...

Deal for less. (News Round-Up).(Virgin Money offers low-cost sharedealing service)
May 1, 2002... Virgin Money has launched a low-cost sharedealing service offering a simple flat fee of 12.95 [pounds sterling] per trade. The Virgin Share Dealing service will be operated by StockAcademy and individual, joint, beneficiary and investment club...

Unit trusts/OEICs. (top ten funds).(fund growth over one year, five years)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... Unit trusts/OEICs One year Performance 1 JPMF Korea 200.60 2 Merrill Lynch Gold & General 195.57 3 Schroder Seoul 188.99 4 Baring...

Investment trusts. (top ten funds).(performance over one year, five years)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... Investment trusts One year Performance 1 Korea-Europe Fund 207.27 2 Gresham House 196.38 3 Scottish Oriental Smaller Cos 153.09 4...

Britannic Assurance. (New offers).(launches transparent with-profits bond)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Britannic Assurance has launched a transparent with-profits bond that provides information on the performance of the underlying fund, the annual smoothing adjustment and the associated initial and annual management charges. Minimum...

WAY Fund Managers. (New offers).(Elite MoneyGuru Income with Growth Trust introduced)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... WAY Fund Managers, in conjunction with MoneyGuru, has launched the Elite MoneyGuru Income with Growth Trust. The fund aims to achieve a consistently high level of income, with capital growth, through investment in a diversified portfolio of UK...

Merrill Lynch. (New offers).(Merrill Lynch Investment Managers offers new fund)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Merrill Lynch Investment Managers has launched the Merrill Lynch European Dynamic Fund. The fund will seek investment opportunities in a concentrated portfolio of around 60 quoted continental European companies and will not be constrained by a...

JM Finn. (New offers).(Peligrin Fund launched)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Stockbroker JM Finn has launched the Peligrin Fund that invests in a portfolio of global equities. At times the portfolio will also invest in bonds. The fund will be one of the first transparent investment funds, allowing investors to access...

Product of the month: Ashcourt Asset Management. (New offers).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Ashcourt Asset Management has launched the Residential Property Growth Fund, designed to offer a lower-risk alternative to buy-to-let in. vestment. RPG is a fully listed company, investing in houses and flats throughout England and Wales...

Skipton Building Society. (Also launching this month ...).(launches bonus rate mini cash ISA)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... * Skipton Building Society has launched the Bonus Rate Mini Cash ISA, offering 4.95 per cent gross per annum. Minimum investment is 500 [pounds sterling]. Call 0800 446776

Leeds & Holbeck Building Society. (Also launching this month ...).(launches two-year fixed-rate bond)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... * Leeds & Holbeck Building Society has launched a two-year fixed-rate bond paying 4.75 per cent gross and a five-year fixed-rate bond paying 5.5 per cent gross. Minimum investment into each bond is 100 [pounds sterling]. Call 0500 225777

Leeds & Holbeck. (Also launching this month ...).(launches Escalator Plus account)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... * Leeds & Holbeck has also launched the Escalator Plus account offering a fixed rate of 4 per cent in year one rising to 5 per cent in year two and 5.5 per cent in year three. Minimum investment is 100 [pounds sterling]. Maximum investment is...

Legal & General. (Also launching this month ...).(adds fixed-rate savings account to its products)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... * Legal & General has added a fixed-rate savings account paying 5.2 per cent gross to its range of products. Minimum investment is 2,500 [pounds sterling]. Call 0500 111200

Chelsea Building Society. (Also launching this month ...).(launches fixed-rate bond)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... * Chelsea Building Society has launched a one-year fixed-rate bond (19th Issue) paying 4.45 per cent gross, and a two-year fixed-rate bond (12th Issue) paying 4.85 per cent. The bonds have minimum investments of 500 [pounds sterling] and 2,500...

Durlacher. (New offers).(launches Durlacher Growth Plus Fund and the Durlacher Blue Chip Plus Fund)
May 1, 2002... Stockbroker Durlacher has launched the Durlacher Growth Plus Fund and the Durlacher Blue Chip Plus Fund. The Growth Plus Fund will aim to invest in the stock market winners of tomorrow, regardless of sector, index membership or market cap. The...

Managers on the move: should you stay or should you go? What Investment looks into the reasons behind recent fund manager moves. (Managers On The Move).
May 1, 2002... The fund management industry has witnessed a spate of manager moves in recent weeks, so if you're confused about who's actually managing your money, you're not alone. Since the start of the year, the number of managers moving to new positions...

Questions to ... Nigel Thomas: Keiron Root talks to fund manager Nigel Thomas about his success at ABN AMRO and his decision to move on to new pastures. (Fund Manager Profile).(Nigel Thomas moves to Framlington Group)
May 1, 2002... The fund management sector has seen a lot of personnel movement over the past year or so, but one of the most dramatic announcements came as the City was yawning back into life after the Easter holiday. It was revealed that Nigel Thomas, one of...

A matter of style: growth, value, top-down or bottom-up? Keiron Root turns on the management style. (Focus: management style).
May 1, 2002... Once upon a time, identifying the objective of an investment fund was relatively simple--their names told you what they set out to do. If a fund said it was `growth', it gave you growth, and if it said it was `income', then it would set out to...

Beginners' guide to hedge funds: in the first of a two part series, David Harris introduces us to the mysterious world of hedge funds. (Hedge Funds).
May 1, 2002... It is not so long ago that hedge funds were thought of as fairly dangerous products, suitable only for those individuals who were rich enough to take outrageous investment risks. But this is a huge oversimplification. Good hedge funds, which...

Releasing the pressure: Amanda Jarvis highlights the benefits and risks of home equity release schemes. (Home Equity Release).
May 1, 2002... By the time you reach retirement you will probably own your home outright. And thanks to soaring property prices you could be sitting on a goldmine. If you are looking for some extra income to see you through retirement, you could turn your...

Going global: Paul Stallard explains how global diversity in a portfolio can reap rewards. (International Sharedealing).
May 1, 2002... The name of the game these days is diversity. Add a bit more diversity and mix it together with diversity and you've got yourself a pretty decent portfolio strategy. Yet despite this, many UK investors are reluctant to branch out into the...

Q&A: financial advisers. (Q&A).
May 1, 2002... So, why do you need the services of a financial adviser? After all, you can buy pretty much any financial product you want either direct from the product provider or through an execution-only broker--the only exceptions being some more complex...

The tax scramble: Roy Maugham helps us prepare for the next self-assessment deadline. (Self-Assessment).
May 1, 2002... Although it only seems five minutes since the scramble to fill in self-assessment tax returns finished, eligible UK taxpayers should already be gearing up for the next set of returns due by January 2003. Over one million people missed the...

Investing in art-e-facts: in the first of a three-part series on investing in collectables, What Investment looks at where to buy art online. (Technology).
May 1, 2002... Hands up if you've ever thought about investing in a painting or a sculpture. Chances are you might have thought about it and dismissed it just as quickly. The perceived cost, the intimidating atmosphere of many art galleries and a lack of...

United Kingdom: mixed message. (World Markets).
May 1, 2002... UK equity valuations appear more attractive than those of other leading markets, although stock selection will be key to fund performance Despite a relatively strong economy, the UK stock market has failed to progress during the first...

United States: double dip dilemma. (World Markets).(end of recession)
May 1, 2002... Order books are improving, unemployment appears to have peaked and consumer confidence is recovering, but is the US experiencing a false dawn? "The key question is, can the recovery continue or will it fade into a double-dip recession, as...

Europe: swinging upwards. (World Markets).
May 1, 2002... Economic data points to a significant recovery this year, with the market expected to rise by as much as 20 per cent Mark Pignatelli, manager of Schroder European, is positive on the immediate prospects for the markets he covers. "The...

Far East: plenty to smile about. (World Markets).
May 1, 2002... Corporate earnings growth in Asia will comfortably outpace GNP growth this year and small cap shares are expected to outperform "Liquidity is plentiful and interest rates are low and nowhere is this more important than in Asia, where...

Japan: beginning to thaw. (World Markets).(economic recovery)
May 1, 2002... Japan is one of the most cyclically exposed markets and tends to outperform during cyclical upswings At long last, there are signs that the Japanese economy might be starting on the hard road to recovery. Mike Balfour, chief investment...

Emerging markets: after the storm. (World Markets).
May 1, 2002... Improving macroeconomic performances combined with falling interest rates and improving investor sentiment should see emerging markets outperform "As evidence of global economic recovery continues, emerging markets should appreciate more...

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 US. (World Markets).
May 1, 2002... Say what you like about the US (and some people have been doing just that recently), but you certainly have to admit that it never seems to lose its knack for springing surprises on us. Just when everybody thought that last year's 11 September...

Market view. (UK Shares Update).
May 1, 2002... A number of adverse patent rulings upset the pharmaceuticals applecart and--given this sector's high weighting in the FTSE 100--that was enough to cause the blue-chip index to fall by 0.6 per cent between 4 March and 4 April. It closed at...

Pharmaceuticals sector view. (UK Shares Update).(Industry Overview)
May 1, 2002... The 22 members of the FTSE Pharmaceuticals and Biotech Index are a diverse bunch. At the top of the tree are the two integrated pharmaceuticals majors GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca. Both formed as a result of mergers (or in the case of...

Pharmaceuticals share view. (UK Shares Update).(GlaxoSmithKline leads United Kingdom pharmaceutical industry )
May 1, 2002... At the top of the pharmaceuticals pile is GlaxoSmithKline. Formed only two years ago as the result of the merger of Glaxo Wellcome (itself a merger in 1995) and SmithKline Beecham (itself a merger in 1989), this company is a global leader in...

European stock performance. (Stock Market Listings).
May 1, 2002... EUROPEAN STOCK PERFORMANCE Rank Company Weight in 1 Month Name Index Return TOP 20 FTSE World Europe 1 Gevaert ...

UK stock performance. (Stock Market Listings).
May 1, 2002... UK STOCK PERFORMANCE Rank Company Weight in 1 Month Name Index Return TOP 20 FTSE All-Share 1 Regus ...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100. (Stock Market Listings).
May 1, 2002... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 01/4/02 [c] FTSE International 2000. All rights reserved. Rank Security Price Dividend Yield ...

Index constituent ranking FTSE 250. (Stock Market Listings).(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 250 01/4/02 [c] FTSE International 2000. All rights reserved. Rank Security Price Dividend Yield ...

Private investor indices. (Stock Market Listings).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... PRIVATE INVESTOR INDICES Total Return Index Name Index Index % Change % Change Value Value...

Month end performance: all sectors. (Stock Market Listings).
May 1, 2002... [GRAPHICS OMITTED]

Cautious option. (Unit Trust Best Buys).(Henderson Preference & Bond Fund)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Kay Lowe, a partner at Equal Partners, recommends the Henderson Preference & Bond Fund from the UK Other Bond sector. The fund is ranked fourth out of 15 funds in the sector over three years, and has returned 8.03 per cent over this time period...

Balanced option. (Unit Trust Best Buys).(New Star Higher Income Fund)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Andrew Merricks, a partner at Simpson of Brighton, recommends the New Star Higher Income Fund, from the UK Equity Income sector. This is a recently launched fund, so has yet to establish a track record. "If one is looking for a balanced,...

Aggressive option. (Unit Trust Best Buys).(Royal & Sun Alliance UK Prime Fund)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Alan Stokes, financial adviser at the Investors Partnership, recommends the Royal & Sun Alliance UK Prime Fund from the UK All Companies sector. The fund is ranked ninth out of 306 funds in the sector over six months, and has returned 18.2 per...

Performance tables. (Unit Trust/OEICs).(Standard & Poor's data)(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... WHAT THE TABLES SHOW The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] invested over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 2 April 2002, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you...

Cautious option. (Investment Trust Best Buys).(Foreign and Colonial Investment Trust)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Tim Cockerill, associate director of Chartwell Investment Management, recommends the Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust. The fund is ranked eighth in the Global Growth sector over three years to 1 April 2002 and has returned 21.3 per cent over...

Balanced option. (Investment Trust Best Buys).(RIT Capital Partners Investment Trust)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Jason Hollands, deputy managing director of Bestinvest, recommends the RIT Capital Partners Investment Trust. The fund is ranked seventh in the Global Growth sector over three years to 1 April 2002 and has returned 27 per cent over this period,...

Aggressive option. (Investment Trust Best Buys).(ACM European Enhanced Income Trust)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Nick Greenwood, head of investment trusts at Christows Stockbrokers, recommends ACM European Enhanced Income Trust. The fund is currently ranked thirteenth in the Europe sector over a year to 1 April 2002 and has lost 41.46 per cent over this...

Performance tables. (Investment Trusts).(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... WHAT THE TABLES SHOW The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] invested over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 2 April 2002, on a mid-market basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you...

Looking for income. (Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries).(investing for college finance)
May 1, 2002... I will soon get a lump sum of 20,000 [pounds sterling] and was wondering what I should do with it. I won't need to use it for at least the next three years, but would like to see if I could get an income from it to help towards university...

Willing it. (Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries).
May 1, 2002... I am in my 60s and thinking of updating my Will. I know that the value of my house has risen considerably, and it was valued at over 200,000 [pounds sterling] a few months ago. With the value of other savings and investments I am concerned that...

Which way now? (Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries).
May 1, 2002... I was hoping that you might be able to help me. Last year I inherited a large sum of money from my father, and following advice, I invested my full allowance in a Scottish Widows UK Tracker ISA--then 4,750 [pounds sterling] in two investment...

PEP it up. (Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries).
May 1, 2002... I have a PEP that isn't doing very well and I was thinking about transferring it. Would I have to pay to transfer it and can I choose a different provider, or do I have to transfer to another PEP with the same company? M Williams West...

Financial contacts: ISA directory.(investment advisers)(Directory)(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... Financial Contacts ISA Directory NAME & ADDRESS NAME OF TYPE MAXI/ CAT SCHEME MINI STANDARD Abbey National [R] Investments/ Stocks & Shares Both...

No-notice accounts. (Best ways to save).(Directory)(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... NO-NOTICE ACCOUNTS Company Account Gross Interest Name Rate Freq. Balance of 500 [pounds sterling] Egg (www.egg.com) Egg Savings ...

Notice accounts. (Best ways to save).(bond issuers)(Directory)(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... NOTICE ACCOUNTS Company Account Gross Notice/ Interest Name Rate Penalty Freq. Balance of 1,000 [pounds sterling] Universal Secure Savings ...

Top-performing unit-linked pensions. (Reference).(Directory)(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... TOP-PERFORMING UNIT-LINKED PENSIONS Five years to 1 April 2002. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-bid basis with gross income reinvested. Australasia FP Australian (ex NM) ** 117.31 1...

Financial contacts: PEP transfer directory.(Directory)(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... Financial Contacts PEP Transfer Directory NAME & ADDRESS NAME OF MIN AMOUNT SCHEME TO BE TRANSFERRED Baillie Gifford Baillie...

Unit Trusts & OEICs.(Directory)
May 1, 2002... Unit Trusts & OEICs Aberdeen UNIT Contact: Customer Services 0845 300 2890 TRUST MANAGER Fax 01224 425907 Unit Trusts: Wide range One Bow Churchyard of 28 unit trusts covering stock markets London,...

Investment Trusts.(Directory)
May 1, 2002... Investment Trusts DEUTSCHE INVESTMENT TRUST MANAGERS LIMITED One Appold Street, London EC2A 2UU. TEL: 020 7545 0520 or FREEPHONE 0800 317773. E-mail: mark.pope@db.com Website: www.db.com/dam Contact: Mark Pope. Anglo & Overseas Trust...

Welcome.(investment vs saving; introduction)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Investment choices can be baffling, and when faced with unfavourable stockmarket conditions and low interest rates, as we are today, it can be very difficult to find the best place for your money, whatever your financial circumstances. A...

Your guide to investment.(Illustration)
May 1, 2002... INTRODUCTION Low interest rates, volatile stock markets, economic uncertainty: this hardly seems a great environment for saving or investing. What is clear however is that people do still want to save and invest. They may be relying on...

Wesleyan's guide to financial jargon.(Glossary)
May 1, 2002... To help you through the maze of financial jargon that comes hand in hand with many financial products, below is a handy reference list of terms with straightforward explanations to make the process of sorting your finances that little bit...