Barclays Wealth reissues three mainstay investments

Barclays Wealth is launching new issues of its Minimum Return Plan, UK Super Tracker and Regular Income Bond.

Launching this week, the Minimum Return Plan is a six-year investment offering a fixed return of 15%, plus an additional 10% at maturity providing that the FTSE 100 has never fallen below 60% of its strike level. In a new development, investors could also receive an extra 10% at maturity - on top of the previous payouts - if the index has never fallen below 80% of its strike level during the term - giving a possible 35% total return. This investment offers full capital protection if held to maturity.

Also launching is Barclays Wealth's three- or five-year UK Super Tracker. The five-year option offers investors a return of three times the first 24% rise in the FTSE 100 up to a maximum of 72%; the three-year option offers three times the first 10% rise in the index up to 30%.

In both cases investors will receive back their original capital unless the index falls by more than 50% and is lower than its starting level at maturity, in which case capital is reduced on a 1:1 basis.

Completing the new issues is the six-year Regular Income Bond. Linked to the FTSE 100, the Regular Income Bond offers investors either an annual income of 6.25% or a monthly income of 0.51%. As with the Super Tracker, investors' capital is fully protected unless the index falls by more than 50% from its starting level and remains lower than its starting level at maturity. If this does occur, capital will be lost on a 1:1 basis.

Lisa Chaudhuri, manager, Barclays Wealth, says: "With no consensus view on the future direction of the FTSE 100 there is a clear demand for products which can offer some certainty of outcome while at the same time providing some protection to capital. Our latest issues have been designed to offer investors different ways to gain exposure to the market according to their outlook, attitude to risk and portfolio requirements."