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Birmingham Midshires ups rate on new fixed rate bond
UK direct savings provider Birmingham Midshires has upped the rate on its One Year Fixed Rate bond from 6.16% to 6.23% gross/AER and continues to sit at the top of best buy table.
Gloomy ISA season as volatile stock markets keep private investors away
The dramatic volatility in February and March saw the FTSE 350 drop over 5% from peak to trough, before recovering to end the period 2% higher than the end of January. This masked a sharp difference in the performance of larger and smaller companies. Over the two months, the FTSE 100 rose 1.7% while the FTSE 250 rose 5.3%.
SWIP outlines expectations for sterling
On the back of sterling briefly falling through the psychological $2 level today, Roddy Macpherson, Investment Director, Global Strategy at Scottish Widows Investment Partnership comments on the future direction of the Dollar-Sterling exchange rate:
Weak dollar hits US equity fund returns
At first sight, investors in US equity funds seem to have been well rewarded in the six months to the end of February 2007, with an 8.4% return from the median mainstream fund only marginally short of the S&P 500’s 8.9%.
Sell in May and go away, don’t come back till St Legers Day?
John Bearman, Chief Investment Officer at Santander Asset Management UK looks at whether we can still apply the old adage to investment markets.
Investment company sector assets rise above £90bn
Latest statistics from the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) have seen the investment company sector’s assets rise above £90bn for the first time ever in March 2007, closing the month with assets of £92bn compared to £87bn the month before.
Alliance Trust’s real growth strategy gathers pace
Alliance Trust PLC, has announced that its net asset value rose 39% to £2.8bn in the last financial year to 31 January 2007, following the successful merger with the Second Alliance Trust that created the UK’s largest generalist investment trust company.
With profits bonds out of the rough
The latest survey by Investment, Life & Pensions Moneyfacts has revealed how rising payouts are finally rewarding investors who have stuck by their with profits bonds through the recent lean years.
Trustnet launches independent absolute return sector for UK Funds
Trustnet, UK free and independent website for fund information, has launched a new sector to highlight Absolute Return funds.
SWIP rounds up the week's economic developments
UK CPI inflation unexpectedly jumped from 2.8% to 3.1% in March, chiefly as a result of temporary factors that should unwind in coming months. For example, annual milk price inflation jumped from 0% to 5.3% and there was a record monthly increase in furniture and furnishing prices of nearly 10% on the month.
Top Ten Retail Investor Buys & Sells for week ending 20 April 2007
Angus Rigby, Chief Executive Officer, TD Waterhouse, commented: It’s been an interesting week on the British high street. The spell of warm weather and sunshine seems to have added a spring to the step of both UK shoppers and investors.
Growth of ISA sales suggests increasing trend of online investing
Fidelity FundsNetwork has experienced a total sales increase of 37 per cent in its ISA season sales year on year, suggesting that the trend of online investing is rising. While it has been widely reported that there has been an overall fall in ISA sales across the industry, gross ISA sales on FundsNetwork have increased by almost 29 per cent.
Strong sterling gives power to UK investor
According to Paul Niven, Head of Strategy for F&C, this week saw two, partially related events gain material column inches in the UK's financial press. The first, the pushing through of the 3 per cent level of UK inflation which obliged Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, to write his, and the Monetary Policy Committee's, first letter of explanation since independence was gained almost ten years ago.
US Bids and IPOs light up Stewardship
The bid for SLM, one of the largest holdings in the ethical Stewardship International Fund, managed by F&C's Sophie Horsfall, has seen the company's share price sky rocket 35 per cent since the end of last month.
Aggressive tightening looms for the Chinese economy
Following stronger than expected growth in Q1 of this year the Chinese economy could be subject to more aggressive tightening measures but Mark Williams, manager of the F&C Pacific Growth Fund continues to see opportunities in the domestic economy.