Investment Funds

Estrella Llorente, portfolio manager, Santander Asset Management UK, comments on the prospects for global emerging markets: "Higher inflation, concerns over the credit market and the slowing US economy are still impacting the Emerging markets this year.

Baring Asset Management (Barings) believes that secular growth in Asian markets will continue to be driven by domestic demand and asset reflation, and that Asian equities currently offer attractive valuations following the recent market correction.

As investors try to work out the best time to come back to the credit, Fatima Luis, manager of the F&C Strategic Bond Fund, said that monetary policy and new issuance shows this could be the right time to gain exposure to bonds.

Economists were taken by surprise this week when the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee failed to agree on whether interest rates should be further cut this month.

As more investors focus their attention on the very attractive investment opportunities emerging markets can offer, many companies in these markets have responded by polishing up their governance standards.

Roger Guy and Guillaume Rambourg, co managers of the Gartmore European Selected Opportunities Fund and the Gartmore SICAV Continental European Fund, single out Nestle's ability to pass on sharp rises in material costs to the consumers as one of the key reasons for Nestle's stellar performance.

They are often seen as evidence of a company's failing strategy and as an implicit demand for shareholders to find extra cash. One of the key downsides to this rights issue is that at least some of the proceeds will, in effect, enter RBS coffers and depart immediately.

A further seven JPMorgan Asset Management funds have been added to the Norwich Union Pensions Platform giving investors access to a wide range of investment vehicles to enhance their retirement portfolios.

Emerging markets is the investment area to which investors are most eager to gain exposure through a protected investment, according to research from Barclays Wealth.

Standard Life Investments, a leading investment house, announced that it has won the ‘Multi-Asset Manager of the Year' Award at the UK Pensions Awards 2008 held in London last night (Tuesday 22nd April).

Leigh Harrison, Threadneedle Head of UK Equities comments: "Royal Bank of Scotland's £12bn rights issue comes as little surprise having been widely expected by analysts for some months and trailed extensively in the media in the last few weeks.

Fidelity International is offering UK investors the opportunity to enter the truly emerging markets of the East with the launch this month of the Fidelity Funds Emerging Asia Fund.

James Hay, UK Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP) provider, warns SIPP investors to check the cash rates they are currently getting on SIPPs.

Contract prices agreed for the sale of potassium chloride or potash have more than doubled in the last eight months.

The Gartmore Cautious Managed Fund is benefiting from a new bout of takeover activity. On Monday, shares in Titan Europe soared after the company's former parent, Titan International, announced that it is in preliminary discussions regarding a potential offer for the company.

The latest review of the New Star Balanced Portfolio by Standard & Poor's has resulted in a rating upgrade to ‘AA' for the fund. The S&P review and consequent adjustment recognised the consistent performance of the New Star Balanced Portfolio.

Invesco Perpetual announced that, subject to shareholder approval, it will merge both the Invesco Perpetual US Aggressive Fund and Invesco Perpetual US Smaller Companies Fund into the Invesco Perpetual US Equity Fund on 23 May 2008.

Despite a disappointing first quarter where emerging equities fell in line with global markets, the outlook for the asset class remains positive and emerging economies will continue driving global growth for years to come.

First State Investments (UK) Limited announced that it will introduce a new Euro share class for its First State Investments UK OEIC funds.

Asian equities are traditionally associated with growth, but high quality companies with strong dividend yields are moving to centre stage, says Halbis, the active management specialist of the HSBC Group.

The US stock market will have put the credit crisis behind it to post ‘decent' gains by late 2008, according to Terry Ewing and Alison Porter, co-managers of Resolution Asset Management's £116m American Growth fund.

Continental Europe will experience a more gradual and protracted correction in the commercial property markets compared with the more rapid re-pricing seen in the UK, according to the latest research from Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP).

New Star's Stuart Webster gives his outlook for international property markets: The risk remains the same but bathers no longer swim. This is known as an "availability heuristic" - the subversion of rationality by easily available sensationalist images.

Investors need to remain focussed on the long-term and not lose faith in the stock market, says Skipton Financial Services.

HSBC has launched a new fund that offers upside exposure to growth in emerging markets, along with the peace of mind of full capital protection.