Friday, 20th November 2009

 

Portfolio

  1. Gold demand drops 34% as economy brightens

    Demand for gold has dropped by over a third year-on-year, despite a recent surrge in its price, as investors turned away from the safe haven investment and look for riskier assets.

  2. London & Stamford profits up but still 'cautious'

    Aim-listed London & Stamford, which has been one of the most active investors in the depressed real estate market in the past year, has said it is now taking a "cautious" approach in the UK, as rivals continue to push billions of pounds into the sector.

  3. Investec posts 29% surge in client assets amid profit decline

    Investec, the South African investment and private bank, on Thursday declared a nearly 29% rise in assets under management to £62.8bn (€70.1bn) during the six months through September, according to a Bloomberg report.

  4. Merrill wealth strategist foresees ‘challenging’ commodity markets

    A likely “more restrictive” monetary policy by governments around the middle of the year could result in “more challenging” commodity markets, Bill O’Neill, a portfolio strategist at Merrill Lynch’s Wealth Management group, has told Bloomberg.

  5. Junk bonds set for record 2010

    Sub-investment grade companies could raise a record $210bn (€134bn) in the bond markets next year, with reduced bank lending and increased risk-appetite among investors combining to drive issuance.

  6. Paulson plans $250m investment in pure-play gold fund

    Paulson & Co intends to launch its first pure-play gold fund, with founder John Paulson planning to invest up to $250m (€167.5m) of his $6bn personal fortune, the hedge fund’s general partners said, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph, London.

  7. Citadel tries to woo angry investors with new funds

    Citadel Investment Group, which lost $8bn (€5.4bn) of its investors’ capital last year, is seeking to woo clients to commit more money with plans to launch four new funds and bolster its investment banking operations, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

  8. Norwest raises $1.2bn venture fund for late-stage investments

    Norwest Venture Partners on Wednesday said it had raised $1.2bn (€803m) for a new venture capital fund which will finance big investments in mature companies, according to a report in The New York Times.

  9. My Best Investment …

    Geoffrey Kent's best investment demonstrates the occasional benefits of what some might label a misspent youth. It certainly didn't have anything to do with money – not directly anyway.

  10. Index Trackers Take Flight

    Stock market indices are tough for the average fund manager to beat. Over time, no more than a fifth of the world's managers have any chance of outperforming them.

Brummel

Relocation, relocation, relocation

Banks have never been shy of firing staff at the merest whiff of a downturn. First the fat, then the muscle and finally the bone. In the past, cuts have been so deep that firms have found it hard to benefit when the markets rebounded, paying over the odds to restaff at speed. Such wild oscillations in staffing numbers are known as “doing a Merrill”.

Rich Monitor

Diary: Utopia for Yacht Lovers

Looking to get more from your yacht? Why not share it with others?

2nd Floor, Stapleton House, 29-33 Scrutton Street, London, EC2A 4HU

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7309 7788

Company No 3089347