What Investment articles from September 2002

What Investment archives from September 2002

Once more unto the breach. (Comment).(performance of with-profits bonds)
September 1, 2002... A month ago, one of the UK's largest IFAs ceased the promotion of with-profits bonds, stating that investors would have better options elsewhere, no matter which way the stock markets moved. As anticipated, such an announcement hardly went...

In the doghouse. (News Round-Up).(Bestinvest fund performance guide)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Worried about the state of your investments? Then now is the time to review your portfolio says IFA Bestinvest. Bestinvest has just published the latest issue of its Spot the Dog guide, which names the funds which have delivered consistently...

Read, steady, stop. (News Round-Up).(Self Trade introduces new trading services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Online broker Self Trade has launched two new trading services. Stop Sell and Stop Buy. The trading tools will allow investors to take even greater control of their portfolios when they do not have the time or inclination to monitor share...

Top ten funds. (September News).(performance statistics)
September 1, 2002... top ten funds Unit trusts One year Performance 1 Merrill Lynch Gold & General 148.03 2 Schroder Seoul 145.38 3 Baring Korea ...

Shepherds Select Funds. (New offers).(launches offshore investment fund)
September 1, 2002... Shepherds Select Funds has launched an offshore investment fund investing in traded endowment policies--the Shepherds TEP fund. The fund includes a cash holding class so that in the event of insufficient policies being available to investment...

TD Waterhouse. (New offers).(launches Balanced Growth Portfolio fund)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... TD Waterhouse has launched the Balanced Growth Portfolio a fund designed to offer investors a balance between growth and income. The portfolio invests 40 per cent in the UK Bond Index fund which tracks the Merrill Lynch Sterling Broad Market...

Premier Portfolio Managers. (New offers).(adds Premier Natural Income Portfolio to product range)
September 1, 2002... Premier Portfolio Managers has added the Premier Natural Income Portfolio to its product range. The product offers a choice of one of a combination of three portfolios that provide investors with `real income' rather than income derived from...

Product of the month: Cazenoze Universal Investment Bond. (New offers).
September 1, 2002... Cazenove Investment Fund Management has launched the Universal Investment Bond in association with AIG Life. Investors can choose from one of four different funds-of-funds managed by Cazenove: the Universal UK Growth Portfolio; the Cazenove...

National Savings & Investments has launched the second issue of its Guaranteed Equity Bond. (Also launching this month ...).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * National Savings & Investments has launched the second issue of its Guaranteed Equity Bond. Investors will gain from the growth in the FTSE 100 over the next five years, subject to a maximum of 70 per cent, with 100 per cent of their capital...

NDF has launched the Protected UK Growth Plan. (Also launching this month ...).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * NDF has launched the Protected UK Growth Plan. The product closes 19 September. It is a five-year growth investment with returns linked to the FTSE-100 Index. At the end of the five years, 100 per cent of the growth in the FTSE-100 is earned,...

Cheltenham & Gloucester is offering a two-year fixed-rate bond paying 4.7 per cent gross per annum. (Also launching this month ...).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * Cheltenham & Gloucester is offering a two-year fixed-rate bond paying 4.7 per cent gross per annum. The minimum investment is 500 [pounds sterling]. Call 0800 717 505.

Lacomp. (New offers).(new fund from Lacomp Portfolio Management Services)
September 1, 2002... Lacomp Portfolio Management Services has launched Lacomp British Enterprise EIS Fund, the first in a series of EIS investment funds aimed at private investors. The funds will invest in early stage British companies prior to AIM or OFEX...

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).
September 1, 2002... Probably the most significant announcement over the past month has concerned not the change of an individual manager, but of an entire management company. In mid-July, the board of Edinburgh Investment Trust announced that the management...

ETFs: on track? Are exchange-traded funds on the verge of pushing index trackers off the rails? Harvey Jones looks at the facts. (Focus: exchange traded funds).
September 1, 2002... They might be simple, they might be cheap and flexible, yet few private investors know how they work and fewer still have any in their portfolio. Say hello to the exchange-traded fund. ETFs are essentially a hybrid of the unit and the...

Take the high road: Keiron Root looks at the reasons why increasing numbers of fund managers are plying their trade from Scotland. (Regional focus: Scotland).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... From the heart of the highlands to the trendy wine bars of Edinburgh, Scotland manages to carry off the mix of the modern and the traditional with panache. Stroll through the streets of Edinburgh on a Saturday afternoon, past the expensive...

Understanding risk: David Harris talks you through investment risk and volatility. (Risk And Volatility).
September 1, 2002... Investors generally understand that the return on their portfolio is linked very closely to the level of investment risk and volatility that they are prepared to accept. However, given the very poor recent performance of global equity...

With-profits or without? When a firm of leading financial advisers questions the future of with-profits policies, it really is time to sit up and take note. (With-Profits Debate).
September 1, 2002... It's turning out to be an annus horriblis for with-profits investments--a stark contrast to last year, when some 14 [pounds sterling] billion flew into with-profits bonds, according to the Association of British Insurers, which reckons at an...

Q&A: Sandler review. (Q&A).(Ron Sandler)(Interview)
September 1, 2002... In June 2001, amid concerns the UK population was not saving sufficiently to take them through retirement, chancellor Gordon Brown asked Ron Sandler, former chief executive officer of Lloyd's of London, to review the medium and long-term...

Guide to the internet: Sandra Willcocks reviews her favourite financial websites. (Technology).
September 1, 2002... The internet has changed our lives in ways most of us would never have thought possible. The world of investment, in particular, has been forever altered. Share dealing, investment research, buying ISAs, pooled investment funds and, indeed,...

United Kingdom: not so rosy. (World Markets).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... Fund managers warn of a sucker's rally and most maintain a cautious tone in their portfolios. "At the end of July, money markets were expecting the Bank of England to raise rates from the current 4 per cent level to at least 4.5 per cent...

United States: a mixed bag. (World Markets).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... Consumer confidence continues to slide and economic growth this year is likely to be subdued. The current fall in stock markets is the longest bear phase since the 1970s and only the sixth time since the 1920s that US equities have...

Europe: looking for visibility. (World Markets).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... Equities are fairly valued and PE ratios are relatively attractive. "The big question for investors at the moment is: when are equity markets going to recover?" says Andrew Spencer, head of european equities at JP Morgan Fleming, "The...

Far East: China leads the way. (World Markets).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... Weak GDP data from the US will affect Asian sentiment but domestic growth keeps China's economic wheels turning. "Although Asian markets have been sold down in the light of global concerns, the underlying economic numbers are robust in many...

Japan: caught short. (World Markets).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... As the government runs short of cash, Japan becomes dependent on other global economies. "The outlook for Japan is poor but not as poor as elsewhere," says Paul Cheshunt, fund manager of Invesco Tokyo. "Japan is very dependent on the rest...

Emerging markets: cheap and pretty cheerful. (World Markets).
September 1, 2002... Balance sheets have been restructured and debt levels reduced. Market corrections during the second quarter of 2002 have presented a strong buying opportunity in the emerging markets sector according to Kate Munday, head of emerging markets...

Market insider: Germany. (World Markets).
September 1, 2002... Continuing our series providing a fundamental analysis of a region from an economic and political perspective. This month, Michael Wilson considers the outlook for Germany. Never say never again. When Gerhard Schroder's Social Democrats...

Market view.(UK stock markets)
September 1, 2002... Tom Winnifrith looks at the forces driving the London stock market What an awful month! Every single sector of the UK market fell--and most fell badly. The FTSE 100 index dived by 13.4 per cent between 5 July and 5 August, slumping from...

UK stock performance. (UK Shares Update).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... UK STOCK PERFORMANCE Rank Company Weight in 1 Month Name Index Return FTSE All-Share 1 Macro 4 0.00% ...

FTSE 100 index. (UK Shares Update).(Financial Times Stock Exchange )(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... FTSE 100 INDEX Stock 1 month Rank 1 year Rank 3i Group 85.54 77 63.38 73 Abbey National 100.91 10 74.02 63 Alliance &...

Index constituent rankings FTSE 100. (UK Shares Update).(Financial Times Stock Exchange )(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... INDEX CONSTITUENT RANKINGS FTSE 100 Dividend Dividend Rank Security Price Yield Cover 1 BP 497 3.18% ...

Support Services: sector view.(market information)
September 1, 2002... The FT Support Services sector has 61 constituents making it one of the most diverse sectors both numerically and also in terms of what its constituents actually do. Its largest members are Rentokil--the company that does everything from pest...

Support Services: share view.(Amey stock performance)
September 1, 2002... Shares in Amey have collapsed from over 400p at the start of this year to just 117p today. Even so only four out of ten City analysts covering the stock rate it as a `buy' with half of the experts rating it as a `hold'. The company restated its...

European sector review: Hilary Cook, director of investment strategy at Barclays Private Clients, examines the prospects for the European insurance sector. (Stock Market Review.
September 1, 2002... The insurance industry has been much in the news recently, with its stocks hammered due to concerns related to financial strength and regulatory reform. The threat of increased regulation in the wake of the Equitable Life debacle and...

Joining the big league: Keiron Root studies the approach of one of the new breed of fund management entrepreneurs. (Fund Manager Profile).
September 1, 2002... One of the major events within the fund management sector this summer was the announcement in early June that ABN Amro was to merge its retail fund management business with that of Edinburgh-based Artemis Investment Management, under the...

Cautious option. (Unit Trust Best Buys).
September 1, 2002... Graham Beschizza, of Nelson Money Managers, chooses two trusts from his firm's Cautious Portfolio, Investec European and Gartmore PSF Index USA. Investec European is ranked 22 out of 90 funds in the Europe excluding UK sector over three...

Balanced option. (Unit Trust Best Buys).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Russell Hall, principal consultant at Sedgwick Independent Financial Consultants, highlights the Credit Suisse Income Fund from the UK Equity Income sector. The fund is ranked third in its sector over three years and has returned just over...

Aggressive option. (Unit Trust Best Buys).(JP Morgan Fleming Asset Management, Gartmore Fund Managers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Jason Hollands, deputy managing director of Bestinvest, offers two choices for investors looking for aggressive growth--JPMF UK Dynamic and Gartmore UK Focus. Both funds are in the UK All Companies sector. JPMF UK Dynamic is ranked second...

Performance tables. (Unit Trusts/OEICs).(open ended investment companies)
September 1, 2002... WHAT THE TABLES SHOW The figures show the value of 100 [pounds sterling] over six months, one, three, five and 10 years to 1 August 2002, on an offer-to-bid basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you can...

Capital gains tax for the private investor.
September 1, 2002... Making capital gains on the stock market over the last few months has not been an easy task, but, no doubt, some investors have done so. The market has rarely been as volatile and only the brave may be prepared to speculate as to which...

Cautious option. (Investment Trust Best Buys).(trusts from Jupiter)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Paul Craig, manager of Exeter Fund Managers, a group which specialises in running portfolios of investment trust shares, suggests two zeros issued by trusts managed by Jupiter--Jupiter Enhanced Income Trust and Jupiter Split Trust. Jupiter...

Balanced option. (Investment Trust Best Buys).(RIT Capital Partners)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Alan Ray, investment trust analyst at Credit Lyonnais, likes the broad diversity of RIT Capital Partners. This trust is ranked second out of 28 trusts in the Global Growth sector over three years. It has returned 12.36 per cent to 1 August...

Aggressive option. (Investment Trust Best Buys).(Merrill Lynch New Energy Technology Trust)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Nick Greenwood, head of investment trusts at iimia, suggests a venture into applied technology for more aggressively minded investors with the Merrill Lynch New Energy Technology Trust. This trust is the only trust in its sector--Sector...

Performance tables. (Investment Trusts).
September 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 1 August 2002, on a mid-market basis with net income reinvested. Funds are listed by sector so that you...

The annuity factor. (Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries).(rates of pension annuities)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Every time I try to understand the annuity factor used in converting a pension lump sum into a monthly payment I fail. Would it be possible for you to describe to me in simple terms how it works? Richard Shaw Ashton Milena...

How to invest 100K [pounds sterling]. (Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries).
September 1, 2002... I am 51 and have no savings or pension fund at all. I have an endowment policy that will mature in six years, and a house worth approximately 135,000 [pounds sterling]. I have just inherited in excess of 100,000 [pounds sterling] and need to...

Call for compensation. (Money clinic: a panel of independent experts answer readers' financial planning and investment queries).
September 1, 2002... In 1992 I wanted to start a ten-year with-profits endowment policy. A financial adviser advised me to invest in AXA Equity & Law UK Equity fund. I have paid 30 [pounds sterling] per month (3,600 [pounds sterling] over the lifetime of the...

No-notice accounts. (Best ways to save).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... NO-NOTICE ACCOUNTS Company Account Gross Interest Name Rate Freq. Balance of 500 [pounds sterling] Northern Rock...

Notice accounts. (Best ways to save).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... NOTICE ACCOUNTS Company Account Gross Name Rate Balance of 1,000 [pounds sterling] Nottingham (0800 083 5565) Post It * ...

Cash ISAS. (Best ways to save).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... CASH ISAS Company Account Name Gross Rate Balance of !,000 [pounds sterling] Northern Rock (0845 601 5151) 30 Day...

TESSA-Only ISAS. (Best ways to save).(tax exempt special savings account)(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... TESSA-ONLY ISAS Company Account Name Gross Rate Balance of 3,000 [pounds sterling] Norwich & Peterbor (0870 240 2234) 5 Year...

National savings. (Best ways to save).(Illustration)
September 1, 2002... NATIONAL SAVINGS Product Gross Rate Min/Max Deposit Accounts & Bonds Ordinary Account 0.50-0.6% 10 [pounds sterling]/ ...

A runaway success: what investment examines the recent developments in the ever-expanding SIPP market. (SIPPs).(self-invested personal pension)
September 1, 2002... So, the government wants us to pull our fingers out and start saving for our retirement, does it? A nation of ill-disciplined savers, are we? Well, who can blame us? Over the past three years UK investors have seen the value of their pension...

Personal pension annuity rates. (Reference).
September 1, 2002... An annuity is a financial product that converts capital into income. You can buy one with your own money and you can buy one with accrued pension funds. Currently, for money purchase pension funds, you must buy an annuity by the time you reach...

Top-performing unit-linked pensions. (Reference).
September 1, 2002... TOP-PERFORMING UNIT-LINKED PENSIONS Five years to 1 August 2002. Results of 100 [pounds sterling] invested on an offer-to-bid basis with gross income reinvested. Source: Standard & Poor's Australasia FP Australian (ex NM) **...