FTAdviser.com

Investment trust industry may not survive without reform

Story by: Nick Rice, Investment Adviser

Mark Mobius, one of the UK's top investment trust managers, has said neither his trust nor the industry will survive without regulatory reform.

• Time published: 00:01
• Date published: 25.08.2008
• Published in: Investments

Witan beats its benchmark through share buybacks

Witan Investment Trust said its NAV outperformed its benchmark by 0.6 per cent over the first half of the year.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

BlackRock World Mining fails to better benchmark

The BlackRock World Mining trust said it underperformed its HSBC Global Mining benchmark over the first half of 2008 following the recent dip in mining stocks.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Shires' yields rise but discount falls

The Shires Smaller Companies trust said its discount narrowed and its yield increased over the first half of the year, although its NAV underperformed its UK small-cap benchmark.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Mondrian predicts fall in Far East inflation

Inflationary pressures in the Far East could soon ease because of the weak US dollar and increased food supplies, according to fund managers Mondrian Investment Partners.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Henderson issues eurozone warning

Henderson Global Investors has warned that the eurozone is facing an imminent recession.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Electric & General ups alternative exposure

Trust takes typical climate change fund positions after year of outperformance

• Date published: 25.08.2008

M&G chief takes time off due to illness

Mike Felton, manager of the £484.4m M&G UK Select fund, has stepped down temporarily from his job.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

BlackRock fund retains capacity

S&P review in July shows metal fund nearly doubling to £1.6bn

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Newton backs UK equities despite market volatility

UK equities are still an attractive long-term investment despite the current market volatility, according to research by Newton Investment Management.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Fidelity advises on inflation benefits

Investors can benefit from rising prices by using them as a market play, according to Aruna Karunathilake, manager of the £302m Fidelity UK Aggressive fund.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

LV= Asset Management leans towards US portfolios

LV= Asset Management said it has weighted its multi-manager portfolios more toward North America as it emerges from a period of economic contraction.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Swip makes first foray into infrastructure

The Swip fund of funds team has bought into infrastructure for the first time as part of a number of changes to its £5.7m Multi-Manager Diversity portfolio

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Pioneer sets trust in US corporate bonds

Chief investment officer bucks negative consensus on US macroeconomic picture

• Date published: 25.08.2008

OPM sees biotech as a 'high-value' choice

Investment manager James Bruce sees high demand in biotech as pharma looks for biotech hook-ups

• Date published: 25.08.2008

GAM slams impatience for quick fund returns

Head of UK mutual funds Martin Harrison warns of clients mis-timing withdrawals

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Sarasin says Ucits III help fight stagflation

Wider investment powers allows RPI plus 3.5% returns over three-year period

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Alliance Trust promotes insider to top job

Alliance Trust has appointed Katherine Garrett-Cox as its new chief executive, replacing Alan Harden, who has resigned to join ING Investment Management in Asia.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

HSBC appoints new senior manager

HSBC Global Asset Management has named Guy Morrell as its head of multi-manager business for the UK and Mena.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

New Star boosts Indian Equity fund

New Star has made its recently launched Indian Equity fund available on the Cofunds, Funds Direct, Hargreaves Lansdown, Royal Skandia, Skandia and Transact platforms.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Standard Life International bond up by 50%

Standard Life International announced that sales of its portfolio international bond are running 50 per cent above the rate of last year.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Turkey gets fund boost as crises blow over

Funds are increasingly investing in the country after ruling party crisis abates and oil prices fall

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Defaqto publishes free guide to multi-manager market

Defaqto has published the eighth edition of its guide to the multi-manager market, "Blending Talents", which is now available to download free from www.defaqto.com.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

F&C hires new product development head

F&C Investments has appointed Frank Henze as head of product development.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Rensburg Sheppards offers apprenticeships

Rensburg Sheppards has teamed up with financial services training provider Skills Solutions to become the first investment management firm in the UK to offer investment administration apprenticeships.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Iveagh launches its first retail fund

Office that manages Guinness fortune rolls out vehicle that will target families seeking to protect assets for future generations

• Date published: 25.08.2008

threesixty tackles fraudsters

Threesixty, a fee-based IFA support services provider, has designed a template security policy to help IFAs tackle fraudsters.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

ProShare offers share plan course

Ifs ProShare, the not-for-profit membership organisation for the UK employee share plans industry, is offering an introductory course about employee share plans for financial advisers.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

June investment levels down

According to a report by Barclays Stockbrokers, investment levels in funds for June reflected a dip in confidence compared to growth seen in the rest of the second quarter, as assets fell 42 per cent month on month.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Market confidence plunges, says Lloyds TSB

Investor confidence in the stock market has slumped dramatically, with more than half of investors now feeling apprehensive about their stock market investments over the coming year, according to Lloyds TSB Wealth Management.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Keydata poll reveals IFAs back structured products

Survey finds 88.1% of advisers would recommend cliants put their money in defensive asset classes

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Credit Suisse spurns commodities

Falling demand for oil and gas and slowing growth in developed markets due to rising inflation has led Credit Suisse Asset Management's Marcus Hankey to take a dim view of commodities.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Swip to hike risk profile

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership is raising the target return of its £80.4m Absolute Return Bond fund from Libor plus 200 basis points to Libor plus 300bps.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Morgan Stanley acts on rising product demand

Morgan Stanley has re-launched five structured products after demand for them rose by 85 per cent since May.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Fund targets London's top properties

London Central Portfolio is launching its London Central Property Portfolio fund II on 1 September.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

IFA reaction: risk-rated funds

As Skandia UK and LV= Asset Management bed down their new risk-rated funds, IFAs are now faced with a range of alternatives to the traditional cautious, balanced and active labels. Imran Khan asked leading advisers whether the new products are revolutionary or just a fad

• Date published: 25.08.2008

New Star hires new chief for international fund business

Greg Jones, UK sales director at New Star, has been appointed managing director of the company’s international fund business from 1 September, responsible for its activities in Hong Kong, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and the US.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Meteor builds on commodities range

Meteor Asset Management has launched Plan 7 of the Galaxy Protected Commodities range, which is based on an equally weighted portfolio of eight commodities, including Brent crude, copper, corn, milk, natural gas, soybeans, wheat and WTI crude.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

F&C fund range in distribution boost

F&C’s Lifestyle range of funds has been added to the Simply Biz and Compliance First Capital Reward scheme.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Standard Life FundZone available through Sipps

FundZone, Standard Life’s mutual fund supermarket, is now available through its retail and group Sipps.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Resolution urges caution amid market turbulence

Small-cap managers will find it "better to be boring" during the current market turbulence, according to Resolution Asset Management.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

Newton stresses yield risks

Up to a third of funds could face ejection from the IMA UK Equity Income sector if they do not increase their yields, according to Newton Investment Management.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

JOHCM soft launches UK Equity fund

JO Hambro Capital Management has soft launched a new UK Equity fund, run by Alex Savvides, manager of the £156.8m JOHCM UK Growth fund alongside senior manager Mark Costar.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

ETFs on course despite August dip

ETFs should continue in popularity despite a dip in trading turnover in mid-August, according to db x-trackers.

• Date published: 25.08.2008

BlackRock Gold & General fund fails to exceed capacity

The BlackRock Gold & General onshore fund has not yet exceeded its capacity despite having £1.5bn under management, according to Standard & Poor's.

• Date published: 22.08.2008

Confidence in stock market takes a tumble

Investor confidence in the stock market has slumped dramatically, with more than half of investors now feeling apprehensive about their stock market investments over the coming year, according to Lloyds TSB Wealth Management.

• Date published: 21.08.2008

ETFs on course despite August dip

ETFs should continue in popularity despite a dip in trading turnover in mid-August, according to db x-trackers.

• Date published: 21.08.2008

Felton takes leave from M&G due to illness

Mike Felton, manager of the £484.4m M&G UK Select fund, has stepped down temporarily from his role due to illness.

• Date published: 18.08.2008