What Investment articles from May 2004

What Investment archives from May 2004

Cat amongst the pigeons.(Comment)
May 1, 2004... The investment mantra 'past performance is no guarantee of future returns' is wheeled out so often that many of us are guilty of ignoring it simply because of sheer overexposure. Time, I think, to revisit this advice. Last month we printed...

Untangling investment funds.(news)
May 1, 2004... Moneyspider, an investment-monitoring service for ISA, PEP, unit trust and OEIC investors, has been launched. The service provides investors with quarterly analysis showing how all their funds are performing in one comprehensive report. For...

Let's learn.(news)
May 1, 2004... The Association of Residential Letting Agents is to plug the education gap for investors in the private rental sector following adverse reports of expensive buy-to-let teach-ins. The first ARLA Masterclass for buy-to-let investors is to be...

Budget special: David Harris reports on the impact of this year's Budget.(News Round-up)
May 1, 2004... Gordon Brown started his eighth Budget as Labour Chancellor declaring that throughout his term of office he had offered "prudence for a purpose". He maintained that the government's continuing objective was "to build a strong economy and a...

Guide to PMI.(news)
May 1, 2004... Exeter Friendly Society has launched a guide to private medical insurance in retirement. Your Guide to Medical Insurance in Retirement looks at issues such as the benefits of private medical insurance, the options for people leaving a group...

Fund consolidation.(news)
May 1, 2004... Discount broker Financial Discounts Direct has launched a free investment consolidation and information service aimed at private investors with portfolios of PEPs and ISAs. The Premier Club aims to eliminate the mass of individual statements by...

VCTs.(news)
May 1, 2004... Rule changes in this year's Budget could result in a significant increase in money flowing into the venture capital sector. It was announced that investors would receive an extra 20 per cent income tax relief on VCT investments for the next...

Taking issue: Nic Cicutti reports on the latest issues rocking the world of finance.(News)
May 1, 2004... If there is one constant amid the last few years' stock market wreckage and semi-partial recovery, it is that some investors are always seeking the next quick fix that will help them claw back some of the losses they have made. Not that it...

Top ten funds.(news)
May 1, 2004... top ten funds Unit trusts One year 1 Framlington Japan 224.32 2 Legg Mason Japan Equity 198.73 3 HSBC GIF Indian Equity 194.90 4 Artemis New Enterprises 193.19 5 UBS UK...

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)
May 1, 2004... Iimia Iimia has launched an investment trust of investment trusts, managed by chief investment officer, Nick Greenwood. The trust will have a portfolio of around 25 stocks and will use limited hedging to reduce unintended risks, such as...

Franklin Templeton.(Product of the month)
May 1, 2004... * Franklin Templeton has added the Templeton Global Emerging Markets fund to its range of OEICs. The Global Emerging Markets fund will be managed by Dr Mark Mobius, and will aim for long-term capital growth through investing primarily in...

Investec Asset Management.(Also launching this month ...)
May 1, 2004... Investec Asset Management has launched the Managed Distribution fund, which will be run by the same management team as the top-performing Investec Cautious Managed fund. The Managed Distribution fund has a target yield of around 4.75 per cent,...

Barclays Global Investors.(Also launching this month ...)
May 1, 2004... Barclays Global Investors has launched two new exchange-traded funds for investors looking for corporate bond or mid-cap equity exposure. The iBoxx Sterling Corporate Bond fund will aim to reflect the performance of an index of 40 of the most...

Old Mutual Asset Managers.(Also launching this month ...)
May 1, 2004... Old Mutual Asset Managers has launched the US Select Opportunities fund, which will be managed jointly by Terry Ewing and Ann Hall. The fund will be run on a special opportunities basis and will typically hold between 40 and 70 stocks. The fund...

Multi-manager boutique T Bailey Asset Management.(Also launching this month ...)
May 1, 2004... Multi-manager boutique T Bailey Asset Management is to launch an equity income fund-of-funds. The portfolio will be aimed at the more cautious investor and will be similarly constructed to its other retail offering, the Fortress Foundation...

Managers on the move: should you stay or should you go? What Investment looks into the reasons behind recent fund manager moves.(Fund managers)
May 1, 2004... The flurry of activity in the retail fund management sector continues, with the most significant move of the past few weeks being that of Clive Beagles, who has resigned as manager of Newton Higher Income, to move to JO Hambro Capital...

New horizons: UK investors who diversify their portfolios internationally enjoy the best global opportunities and lower risk.(Focus: global exposure)(Cover Story)
May 1, 2004... It is only natural for people to stick to what they know best, but when it comes to investing, this safety-first approach can actually be one of the riskiest things to do. Research by Bates Investment Services has found that the average...

Healthy, wealthy and wise: Edmund Tirbutt looks at the private medical insurance options available for the over-50s.(Private medical insurance)
May 1, 2004... One condition that private medical insurance (PMI) doesn't cover is indecisiveness but, even if it did, few who suffer from this would ever become policyholders. Taking out a PMI policy requires making tough choices, especially once you have...

Second-hand investments: David Faram reviews the prospects for the TEP market following the recent decline in life company bonus rates.(Q & A)
May 1, 2004... Despite the fact that the traded endowment policy (TEP) market has been established for some 15 years and the market has grown to a level where it trades millions of pounds' worth of policies each month, there are still many who are not only...

The e-lite: Harvey Jones highlights his favourite online financial resources.(Technology)
May 1, 2004... The rise in financial websites and online share-dealing coincided with the bull markets of the late 1990s. The subsequent crash caused something of a clear out, with big names such as The Street going to the wall. But, for those of you willing...

United Kingdom: good new all round.(World Markets)
May 1, 2004... UK economic data and corporate newsflow have been generally positive, and subsequent figures should also be robust UK fund managers are reacting to a perceived easing in the market, following an uneventful Budget accompanied by worries that...

United States: a patchy affair.(World Markets)
May 1, 2004... The economy is growing strongly in response to aggressive policy stimulation, but employment data is weak and inflation remains low "The strong market run seen in 2003 has continued into 2004," says John Kennedy, portfolio manager of The...

Europe: uphill struggle.(World Markets)
May 1, 2004... While fund managers remain cautious on the prospects for European equities, they await more positive trends in underlying growth Europe continues to worry investors, with signs of economic weakness persisting and concerns that the arrival...

Far East: risks and rewards.(World Market)
May 1, 2004... rising currencies remain a key risk for the region's export-oriented economies and corporate earnings "Over the last quarter, market focus in Asia turned from export and technology stocks towards those benefiting from improving domestic...

Japan: a shining example.(World Markets)
May 1, 2004... The overall economic situation is more favourable now than at any time in the past ten years 'There is currently a strong case for investing in Japanese equities, as the macro data continues to improve, and corporate restructuring delivers...

Emerging markets good times ahead.(World Markets)
May 1, 2004... Foreign direct investment continues to keep the prospects for emerging markets well and truly alive "The second half of 2003 saw positive developments that would suggest the foreign direct investment (FDI) and net investment trends into...

Market insider: the European Union: Michael Wilson concludes his analysis of the prospects for the EU as it prepares to accept ten new members in May.(World Markets)
May 1, 2004... After years of painful wrangling, and more than a few serious temper tantrums along the way, Europe is finally set for the biggest challenge of its career. On 1 May the 15 member states of the European Union are being joined by 10 new recruits,...

Market view.(UK Shares)
May 1, 2004... March was the month when the great bull rally of 2003 was meant to come to an end. An al-Qaeda outrage in Madrid raised the threat of terrorism. And there were worries on both sides of the Atlantic that the recovery was either too hot or not...

UK stock performance.(UK Shares)
May 1, 2004... UK STOCK PERFORMANCE Rank Company Weight in 1 Month Name Index Return TOP 20 FTSE All-Share 1 Jarvis 0.02% 38.20% 2 Alvis ...

FTSE 100 index.(UK Shares)
May 1, 2004... FTSE 100 INDEX Stock 1 months Rank 1 year Rank 3i Group Inv Tr 96.84 68 154.39 25 Abbey National 97.23 64 145.52 33 Alliance & Leicester ...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100.(UK Shares)
May 1, 2004... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 Rank Stock Price Dividend Dividend Yield (%) Cover 1 BP 456 3.40%...

Small caps sector view.(UK Shares)
May 1, 2004... Smaller companies enjoyed a wonderful run in 2003, outperforming the sedate EESE 100 by a mile as they soared by just over 50 per cent. So now any number of unscrupulous tipsheets will try to persuade you to part with your hard-earned cash by...

Small caps share view.(UK Shares)
May 1, 2004... The 'safe' way to play small-cap shares is to back a specialist fund with a proven record--such as Eaglet, managed by Peter Webb. But funds are managed by humans and humans err, so whilst Eaglet and Webb have a great historic track record there...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European telecoms sector.(Stock Market Review)
May 1, 2004... Once again, the telecoms sector is back in the spotlight, due in part to increased enthusiasm for mergers and acquisitions and to the spread of new technology in the marketplace. After struggling over the past few years as a result of weak...

European stock performance.(Stock Market Review)
May 1, 2004... European stock performance Rank Company Weight in 1 Month Name Index Return Top 20 FTSE World Europe 1 mmO2 0.29% 32.16% 2...

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)
May 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Stephen Marriott, fund analyst at Bestinvest, suggests the AXA Global High Income fund as an option for cautious investors. This fund is ranked 30th out of 34 funds in the UK Other Bond sector over three years to 31 March...

Unit trust performance tables.(Unit Trust OEIC's)
May 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 31 March 2004, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

Walking over dinosaurs: Keiron Root meets Sam Islay, a fund manager who finds more than enough opportunities in the pharmaceutical sector to keep his investors happy.(Fund Manager Profile)
May 1, 2004... Investment funds that limit themselves to investing in only one sector of the market are looked upon as being risky propositions. This is often justifiably so, as hitching your investment to one particular part of the market may well pay...

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)
May 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Alan Beaney of Principal Investment Management picks out an established generalist trust for investors who do not want to take too much risk. He favours Temple Bar, whose shares are ranked ninth out of 23 in the UK Growth &...

Investment trust performance tables.(Investment Trusts)
May 1, 2004... The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and ten years to 31 March 2004, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can compare them against trusts...

PEP manager charges.(Money clinic)
May 1, 2004... As standard-rate taxpayers who are retired, my husband and I have sums of about 20,000 [pounds sterling] each in self-select PEPs and ISAs with Pillings stockbrokers. While we occasionally have used their advice on these stock market...

Misleading advice.(Money clinic)
May 1, 2004... Recently Lloyds TSB was fined by the FSA and is paying 98million [pounds sterling] compensation to its investors. I was misled into investing 25,000 [pounds sterling] in the Scottish Mutual Income Bond. My question is: why has Scottish Mutual...

A wind-up?(Money clinic)
May 1, 2004... My partner was mis-sold two endowment policies in May 1989 and January 1991, as repayment vehicles for an interest-only mortgage. The financial adviser that was involved was wound up and struck off the Companies Register mad dissolved on 11...

Best ways to save.(Money Facts)
May 1, 2004... Best ways to save Telephone Account Number/Website INSTANT ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Lambeth BS 05002 00020 Premier Save Scarborough BS 0845 458...

Personal pension annuity rates.(Reference)
May 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)
May 1, 2004... Top-performing unit-linked pensions Five years to 27 February 2004. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-hid basis with gross income reinvested. Name Value Rank ...

Get involved.(Investing in property)
May 1, 2004... Despite a boom in the property market over the past few years and the continued threat of a bursting of the bubble, the desire for bricks-and-mortar investment is as strong as ever. Last year prices in the UK housing market rose by an...

On safe ground? Simon Hildrey compares and contrasts the performance of the commercial and residential property sectors.(Property funds)
May 1, 2004... The most widely discussed investment for the past two years has been property. While discussions in the pub or at parties in 1999 mid early 2000 eventually moved on to the subject of stock markets and technology stocks, it is still discussion...

Relocation, relocation, relocation: Jamie Liddell looks at the options for investors seeking a place in the sun.(Overseas property)
May 1, 2004... Over a million Britons now own property abroad. With the domestic market showing no signs of slowing down, the disparity between property values on either side of the English Channel continues to grow, and more and more people are choosing to...

Money matters: Robin Haynes explains how a focus on foreign currency can prevent a good investment from turning bad.(Foreign currencies)
May 1, 2004... If you are considering buying overseas property--either as an investment or as a second home--it is definitely worth your while considering the implications of foreign exchange before you set out. Using a specialist foreign exchange broker,...

Let's make money: some of last year's buy-to-let hotspots have gone cold, but there are still opportunities for landlords who do their homework.(Buy-to-let)
May 1, 2004... The buy-to-let market is slowing but still offers good returns if you buy the right property in the right place with the right mortgage deal. Experts say house prices will rise only by 4-8 per cent on average compared to 15 per cent or...