It is a truth universally acknowledged that an investor in possession of a good fortune must be in want of diversification. Whilst formerly, a traditional allocation between bonds and equities might have served this purpose,…
Backing a greener future
Investment companies have been adapting to meet shareholders’ needs for 150 years and today’s investment companies are providing investors with the opportunity to invest in businesses that are helping to tackle the environmental challenges we…
Down with the KIDs
The AIC has published further research demonstrating why consumers are being misled by Key Information Documents (KIDs) and why the FCA needs to act now to protect consumers. The research looked at 56 investment company…
Two views make a market
Ian Cowie explores the opportunities presented by bearish sentiment on the UK. More than two years after Britain voted by a single-digit majority to leave the European Union, it remains unclear whether Brexit will prove…
The UK before Brexit
Two years after the EU Referendum, investor sentiment towards the UK is subdued despite the recent stock market highs. Concerns about Brexit and a UK economic slowdown are always present, but is this investor uncertainty…
Finding financials
An easy mistake to make after the global financial crisis has been to look at the financial sector through the lens of the failings of a very small number of large banks. Another is to…
The world’s biggest health challenges
Investment companies have been offering investors access to innovative businesses and sectors for 150 years and an area where innovation is particularly prominent today is healthcare and biotechnology. It’s well known that investment companies in…
Emerging markets
The first investment company launched back in 1868 enabled private investors to benefit from investing in a diversified portfolio of investments to spread risk. The first investment companies invested in the emerging markets of their…
Let’s play fantasy fund manager
Let’s play fantasy fund manager. If you were asked to pick a World Cup winning global equity team, who would you select? You know you can’t rely on a single star player to win the…
Expanding horizons
150 years after the first investment company was launched, the industry is still expanding investors’ and advisers' options to new and innovative areas. Of course there are many well-known investment companies investing in equities and…
Sector Specialist: Debt
With interest rates at all-time lows over the past decade, investors have increasingly been looking to alternative assets in their search for income. Sector Specialist: Debt is one of the highest-yielding investment company sectors and…
Alternative routes to income
Income-seeking investors struggling with low interest rates on bonds and deposits plus high share prices, should consider investment companies holding alternative assets. Infrastructure - such as public buildings funded through the private finance initiative (PFI)…
Recovering from a lost decade
Capital at risk: All financial investments involve an element of risk. Therefore, the value of your investment and any income from it will vary and your initial investment amount cannot be guaranteed. Emerging Europe is…
Slow and steady
In the face of recent market volatility, Jonathan Davis explains why a calm approach is best. No matter how much wise advice they receive in advance, few investors find their first encounter with a sharp…
Taking AIM
"Come back and see me when your market cap is £100m". A phrase commonly heard by the management teams of smaller companies. To some degree, risk, liquidity and time-management makes this understandable but we believe…
The outlook for VCTs
Demand for VCTs in the 2017-2018 tax year has been very strong. From 6th April 2017 to 31st January 2018 VCTs have raised £483 million, more than double the £221 million raised from 6th April…
From little acorns
Venture Capital Trusts or VCTs are becoming increasingly popular, with demand boosted by valuable incentives for investors in these tax shelters and tighter restrictions elsewhere. However, smaller companies and start-ups held within this type of…
Small is mighty
Europe became the flavour du jour As global economies emerged from a searing financial crisis at the turn of the decade, the US and UK seemed to pull ahead of their European cousins. Earnings there…
2017 Portfolio Review
Investors should always be more interested in the future than the past - and that remains true, even when reviewing how our shares fared over the last year. So, while bearing in mind that the…