What Investment articles from October 2004

What Investment archives from October 2004

The crisis deepens.(Comment)
October 1, 2004... 'Early September saw the departure of the Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith. His two years in the job were described by the Liberal Democrat shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Steve Webb MP, as a period when "the crises in company...

Competition.(October news)
October 1, 2004... Still paying a mortgage? Financial information website iii is offering one lucky person the chance to have their repayments covered for a year. Turn to page 34 for details of how to enter the online competition. Readers who don't have...

Move with a mouse.(October news)
October 1, 2004... Pension specialist Scottish Life now allows policyholders to switch between funds online. The new service enables customers who hold one of the Retirement Solutions range of pensions to switch existing funds and redirect future payments. The...

Reading between the lines.(October news)
October 1, 2004... A new edition of The Daily Telegraph guide to equity investment is now available. How the Stock Market Works by Michael Beckett begins with a basic guide to shares, gilts and derivatives, before moving on to explore investment strategies. There...

Nothing ventured.(News Round-up)
October 1, 2004... Artemis Investment Management is launching a second venture capital trust (VCT). The new fund will be managed along similar lines to its existing AIM VCT, focusing on companies listed on the Alternative Investment Market. Artemis AIM VCT 2 pie...

With-profits with details.(News Round-up)
October 1, 2004... With-profits policyholders will be given more information on how their investments are run under new proposals outlined by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The regulator is recommending that with-profits providers send out a consumer...

New plan to make IHT fairer.(News Round-up)
October 1, 2004... A banding system would make inheritance tax fairer, according to a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The think tank suggests a tiered approach to IHT--similar to that taken with income tax--would lead to lower...

JPMF holds autumn fund sale.(October news)
October 1, 2004... JPMorgan Fleming is offering a discount on a range of ISA investments. Lump sum investments into the investment Trust ISA will have the transaction charge (normally 1 per cent) waived, and there will be a 2 per cent discount off the initial...

Manager moves: a round-up of the comings and goings in the fund management world.(News Round-up)
October 1, 2004... Andre Argyle, manager of Schroders' Gilt & Fixed Income fund, is leaving the group to join the sales side of Goldman Sachs. His fund will be managed by Jeremy Cave, Schroders' head of UK fixed income, whilst a replacement is found. David...

Taking issue: Nic Cicutti reports on the latest issues rocking the world of finance.(October news)
October 1, 2004... One area tending to cause controversy among investors is the question of how financial advisers should be paid. The arguments over upfront fees and commissions are well known, yet many consumers remain unaware of another critical component of...

Top ten funds.(October news)
October 1, 2004... Unit trusts One year 1 Framlington Japan 152.00 2 Legg Mason Japan Equity 150.36 3 Invesco Perp Jap Sm Cos Acc 147.07 4 Invesco GT Jap Enterp (USD) 146.20 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.(October news)
October 1, 2004... * American Express American Express has added a self-invested personal pension (SIPP) to the range of products it offers through IFAs. The SIPP can hold UK unit trusts and OEICs, UK equities and cash pending investment. Additional investment...

Nvesta.(Also launching this month ...)
October 1, 2004... Nvesta has launched another version of its Secure Tracker plan. The structured investment, which runs for six years, offers 110 per cent of the average rise in three indices: the FTSE 100, S&P 500 and the Nikkei 225. There is no cap on the...

Cheshire Building Society.(Also launching this month ...)
October 1, 2004... A new children's saving product is available from Cheshire Building Society. The Black Cat Bond is a four-year plan open to one-off investments of between 500 [pounds sterling] and 50,000 [pounds sterling]. Savers can choose to earn interest at...

Woolwich Plan Managers.(Also launching this month ...)
October 1, 2004... Woolwich Plan Managers is offering an investment vehicle linked to the new FTSE Hedge Index. The Woolwich Protected FTSE Hedge Plan will pay two-thirds of any percentage rise in the new index over five years. However, the final index level will...

Take on the taxman: wise use of tax allowances can help you limit the amount of cash that slips into Gordon Brown's clutches.(Tax-efficient investing)
October 1, 2004... Nobody likes paying tax, but three-quarters of us do absolutely nothing to shield our money from the taxman. Every year we hand the Exchequer an estimated 5.7 billion [pounds sterling] unnecessarily--money that could have been saved with a...

Unlocking your statement: What Investment offers a guide to some of the things you can find amongst your paperwork.(Reading your statements)
October 1, 2004... If you have a wide variety of investments, you're likely to receive a lot of paperwork each year. Statements from fund managers, life companies and stockbrokers will arrive, together with a wealth of other information --booklets outlining...

Built to last: every investor should have a unique portfolio, but the things to be considered when constructing the ideal blend of holdings are universal.(Portfolio construction)
October 1, 2004... Japanese funds may be the flavour of the month, but most investors realise it would be unwise to sink all of their money into the country. A balanced portfolio may not offer all the fun of the fair, but compensating for the ups and downs should...

Zero interest.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
October 1, 2004... I hold an investment in the ISIS Progressive growth fund, The zero market was undervalued and a fund that avoided zeros with high gearing and cross-selling--the key problems that hit other zeros a few years ago--was a good investment. ...

OEICs out.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
October 1, 2004... I am a fairly experienced investor with many years of dealing with shares but can you please tell me: how can I tell unit trusts with units from OEICs (open ended investment companies) with shares? Neither the management companies' adverts nor...

Counting the cost.(Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries)
October 1, 2004... Sometimes when a fund is written about we are told the annual and initial charges, but other times there is reference to a 'total expense ratio'. Can you please tell me what that is and how it is related to the other charges? Is there any...

Lets start online: What Investment rounds up some of the websites that can offer help and information to potential property investors.(Technology)
October 1, 2004... The days of making easy money from property are over, but with stock markets still offering little cheer the buy-to-let bandwagon rolls on. Those in the industry claim there are still opportunities for investors, but all acknowledge that to be...

What in the world? Does geographical diversification still mean a balanced portfolio?(Focus: global investing)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2004... The UK dominates investors' portfolios. Financial advisers say typical investors have at least 60 per cent of their portfolios in UK assets, whether through shares or funds. This does not include most investors' largest asset, their property,...

United Kingdom: small mercies.(World Markets)
October 1, 2004... With opinion divided on interest rates, small caps offer a glimmer of hope for investors seeking growth The summer began with talk of rises in the Bank of England base rate and, sure enough, August saw the Monetary Policy Committee deliver...

United States: a bigger picture.(World Markets)
October 1, 2004... Attention switches from small to large-cap stocks, despite some big businesses expressing caution While JPMorgan Fleming favours small caps in the UK, it takes the opposite view in North America. Garrett Fish, portfolio manager for the...

Europe: mixed feelings.(World Markets)
October 1, 2004... Most fund managers are positive on the region's prospects, but dependence on exports causes some concern "In Europe, excluding the UK, equity valuations are reasonable," says Keith Wade, group chief economist at Schroders. "Although not...

Far East: attractively valued.(World Markets)
October 1, 2004... Oil prices cause some concern, but good news from China and Hong Kong is inspiring positive sentiment Concerns about China, interest rates and the oil price have all put a dampener on Asian equities, according to Vanessa Donegan, head of...

Japan: firm foundations?(World Markets)
October 1, 2004... Weaker than expected data on GDP growth has confirmed the suspicions of one manager; others remain positive "Our Japanese, European and Asian fund managers are more sceptical that companies in these areas will be able to spend their...

Emerging markets: treading carefully.(World Markets)
October 1, 2004... Brazil offers opportunities for the brave while oil still plays a big part in Russia's prospects Schroders has reduced its overweight position in emerging markets for the third successive month, according to group chief economist Keith...

Market insider: France: continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for France.(World Markets)
October 1, 2004... It's often said that the best time to pick up a new investment is when everybody else's attention is focused on something else. So with all eyes on November's elections in the United States, now seems an ideal moment to examine the country that...

Market view: Tom Winnifrith considers the outlook for UK shares.(UK Shares)
October 1, 2004... August was not a great month to play the markets. Rising crude and mixed corporate results plus data suggesting that the British consumer was losing confidence rather unsettled everyone. Apathy was the main feature with trading volumes low....

FTSE 100 index.(UK Shares)
October 1, 2004... FTSE 100 INDEX Stock 1 month Rank 1 year Rank 3i Group plc 100.44 48 93.29 84 Abbey National 106.98 8 119.29 35 Alliance & Leicester ...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100.(UK Shares)
October 1, 2004... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 Rank Stock Price Dividend Yield (%) 1 BP 492.75 3.08% 2...

Dotcom sector view.(UK Shares)
October 1, 2004... After the carnage that followed the dotcom bubble there must be many people out there who'd rather book a holiday in Najaf than touch a dotcom stock - a subsector of the computer services sector and also of the retail sector. But the flotation...

Dotcom share view.(UK Shares)
October 1, 2004... Shares in ASOS have rocketed from 5p to 61p so far during 2004, but I wouldn't be selling even now. The company is an online retailer constantly adding brands to its catalogue, customers to its e-mail contact base and, critically, sweating...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European automotive sector.(Stock Market Review)
October 1, 2004... The automotive industry continues to face many challenges, notably its highly competitive nature and associated excess capacity. In order to improve profitability, manufacturers have introduced automation, efficient inventory management and...

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)
October 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Anna Bowes, savings & investments manager at Chase de Vere Investments, suggests the Invesco Perpetual Distribution Fund for cautious investors looking for a reasonable level of return without taking too much risk. The...

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

Multiplying the profits: Keiron Root meets a double act that really understands the fund management business.(Fund Manager Profile)
October 1, 2004... Rather than relying on the stockpicking skills of an individual fund manager, multi-manager funds invest in a range of managers, often following different styles and strategies. The theory is that, since no one company is able to produce...

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)
October 1, 2004... CAUTIOUS OPTION Alan Beaney of Principal Investment Management prefers a solid UK generalist trust for investors wanting to limit their risk. Schroder UK Growth's shares are ranked 16th out of 21 in the UK Growth sector over three years to...

Investment trust performance tables.(Investment Trusts)
October 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 August 2004, on a mid-market basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

Best ways to save.(Reference)
October 1, 2004... Best ways to save Telephone Number/Website INSTANT-ACCESS BRANCH ACCOUNTS Lambeth BS 0500 200020 Manchester BS 0870 990 0810 Scarborough BS 0845 458 4458...

Personal pension annuity rates.(Reference)
October 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)
October 1, 2004... Five years to 31 August 2004. Results of [pounds sterling] 100 invested on an offer-to-bid basis with gross income reinvested. Name Value Rank Balanced Managed SJP THSP Managed ...

Guide to trading strategies.
October 1, 2004... At the core of most portfolios are collective investments--the vehicles that let you get access to stock markets without holding shares in individual companies. Once an investor has the confidence--and cash--to cast his or her net wider, he or...

Spreading wisdom: spread betting offers a way to profit from the ups and downs of the market, says Keiron Root, but before you take a punt you should do your homework.(Guide to trading strategies)
October 1, 2004... The concept behind spread betting is simple. Rather than investing directly in a particular share or index, you make a bet on which way its price will move. You don't have to lay out as much as you would on a conventional investment and you...

The 21st century choice: Andrew Edwards, head of trading at Tradindex, explains why spread betting is a practical alternative to traditional share dealing.(Guide to trading strategies)
October 1, 2004... Spread betting companies have become one-stop shops for a variety of financial products. Before spread betting became widely available, it would have been necessary to open at least three separate accounts with three different companies to...

Trading with a difference: CFDs are much misunderstood by investors but can help you add value to your equity trading, says Patrick Latchford, Head of Equity Products at IFX Markets Ltd.(Guide to trading strategies)
October 1, 2004... Contracts for difference (CFDs), used in conjunction with other instruments, can reduce risk and help secure future returns in a capital-efficient way. No astute investor or trader can afford to ignore the benefits that they offer. We...

Easy to fathom? ETFs are among the shares that can be traded on a spread bet, but what are they and what else can they offer investors? Hilary Osborne answers these and other questions.(Guide to trading strategies)
October 1, 2004... One of the things that can be traded by a contract for difference (CFD) or spread-betting client is an exchange traded fund (ETF). This is a share that follows the ups and downs of a specific index, so you can bet on its movements as you would...

Glossary.
October 1, 2004... Buy aka up bet--a bet that the price of your chosen share or index will rise above the available spread. If, for example, the company offers a spread of 4196-4204 on the value of the FTSE 100 and you think it will go higher than 4204, you would...