Fund Strategy
19 May 2008
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Bank blames soaring energy prices for gloomy outlook
19 May 2008
The Bank of England has warned the British economy will suffer slower growth at the same time as a continued pick-up in the rate of inflation.
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Barings reveals plan for diversified soft commodities Oeic
19 May 2008
Baring Asset Management is planning a third-quarter launch of a dedicated soft commodities invested fund.
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Brighter outlook forecast for value
19 May 2008
In response to the Adviser Fund Index (AFI) survey sent out in March, five out of the 10 panellists that responded said they expected growth styles of investing to outperform value over the proceeding 12 months. The other five were undecided. No one expected value styles to fare better. But some panellists now say value is coming into its own.
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Britain best placed in Europe for recovery
19 May 2008
Britain is best placed of all the net borrowing European nations to recover from the credit crisis, according to Lombard Street Research. Diana Choyleva, head of UK service at Lombard, says that France and Germany appear likely to weather the turmoil in markets but Britain should escape the worst-case scenario.
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Brown Advisory widens access to US equities
19 May 2008
Brown Advisory is offering British investors access to all of its core equity strategies for the first time, with the launch of the American fund. The fund combines exposure to the firm's US Equity Value, US Equity Growth and US Smaller Companies portfolios.
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Choice and timing yield dividends
19 May 2008
Equity income managers focus on companies that share profits with investors as dividends - but good timing and expert stockpicking skills are needed to generate healthy returns.
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Confidence returns to bonds as price anomalies appear
19 May 2008
The fixed income market was affected by investor redemptions at the end of last year as confidence in the market plummeted. There was a great deal of concern surrounding the subprime crisis as fears of a systemic failure, particularly in financial stocks, caused indiscriminate selling of equities and bonds.
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E.Tr@der
19 May 2008
As I explained at the weekend, all I was doing was seeing some of the holders of my fund who I might have met at the seminar if it hadn't been cancelled. I wasn't up to no good, as you put it.
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Easy scapegoat triumphs as referee
19 May 2008
Anand Menon blasts philes and phobes in his eulogy to the aims and achievements of the European Union. But the author's vision of the Union as a heroic ""Hunt Tsar"" is hyperbole.
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Eclectica to offer agricultural futures
19 May 2008
Eclectica Asset Management will launch the CF Eclectica Agricultural Futures fund for institutional investors next month. The portfolio, which is designed to complement the firm's £200m long-only Agriculture fund, will be co-managed by Hugh Hendry, chief investment officer at Eclectica, and Espen Baardsen, the former Tottenham and Everton goalkeeper.
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F&C links range to Standard Life
19 May 2008
Links to F&C's Lifestyle fundrange have been established on all of Standard Life's products. The F&C Lifestyle range, launched last year, is a suite of multi-manager funds that follow the asset allocation models derived from Dynamic Planner, a third-party risk-profiling tool. The funds allow advisers to ensure that client portfolios are matched to their risk-profile. The funds are accessible on a range of platforms including Axa, Canada Life, Cofunds, Friends Provident and Standard ...
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FOUR and YouGov in 'unique' offering
19 May 2008
FOUR Capital is teaming up with YouGov, the internet research and consulting agency, to launch an absolute return vehicle.
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Full throttle
19 May 2008
Soaring oil and energy prices ignited a global focus on alternative energy and hard-nosed investors are reaping the rewards of a surge in green technology, writes Vanessa Drucker, Fund Strategy's American editor in New York.
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Fund Manager's Diary
19 May 2008
Tuesday Lots of emails to friends in Britain, America and Australia coming in and going out about everyone's plans for the big weekend. Off to see N Brown at its results meeting in the West End. The company is doing well despite being in the retail sector. Its online business has been growing at more than 50% each year. The shares are cheap and the update is reassuring.
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How food and energy forced rates re-think
19 May 2008
News last week that rising inflation could mean an end to the Bank of England's recent trend of cutting interest rates will come as a further blow to Britain's homeowners. Not only is it more difficult to get on the property ladder, but those who have recently remortgaged and opted for a tracker in the belief rates will go down, perhaps as low as 4%, will feel slightly shortchanged.
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IFA channel course tests river crew
19 May 2008
Thames River Capital's first foray into the advisory market is a bigger challenge than expected, but the group hopes to sell more funds via the IFA route, writes Neal Underwood.
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Lyon to lead-manage S&W global gold fund
19 May 2008
Robert Lyon is to become lead manager on Smith & Williamson's £17m Global Gold and Resources fund.
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Managers' inflation concerns eclipse global slump fears
19 May 2008
Inflation concerns have overtaken fears of a global recession, according to Merrill Lynch’s monthly fund manager survey. According to the latest survey only a net 18% of managers say the world is in recession.
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New Star to merge American and Asian funds
19 May 2008
New Star will merge funds in its American and Asian equity ranges on June 13, subject to investor and Financial Services Authority approval.
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Pictet seeks profits in Mena region
19 May 2008
Pictet Funds, the fund distribution arm of Swiss private bank Pictet & Cie, has launched a fund investing in the Middle East and North Africa.
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Quality adds value in confusing time
19 May 2008
Investors should focus on companies with strong cash flows, which outperform in volatile markets - rather than pursuing growth or value stocks - when confusion may arise.
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SLI buys Brisbane office complex
19 May 2008
Standard Life Investments (SLI) has made its third direct investment in the Asia Pacific property market with the acquisition of a property in Brisbane, Australia, for A$37.5m (£18.1m). Number 82 Eagle Street, acquired from Trinity Property Trust, part of the Trinity Group, on behalf of SLI's Select Property fund, comprises a 12-level business complex. Tenants include SMF Funds Management, Leighton Contractors and Bright Fox.
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Split decision pays dividends for Invesco
19 May 2008
Katharina Hoyland, European equities manager at Invesco, answers questions from Will Jackson.
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T Bailey 'first' as it adds Aegon fund
19 May 2008
Multi-manager specialist T Bailey has added the Aegon UK Opportunities fund to three of its four fund of funds portfolios. T Bailey says it is the first multi-manager to hold the £63m Aegon fund, launched in March 2007. The Aegon fund, A-rated by Old Broad Street Research, has delivered second percentile performance.
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Top performer prospers on variety
19 May 2008
Giles Hargreave, manager of Marlborough Special Situations, outperforms with small stakes in more than 130 small-cap stocks that include agri-business, oil tankers and a café franchise.
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Why Margetts has had it with Japan
19 May 2008
Toby Ricketts has nearly doubled Margetts' Venture Strategy fund's emerging markets holdings to 25%. He also keeps a 25% weighting to Asia Pacific equities - with one significant exception.
