M&G Investments has eyes on UK Mortgages July 20, 2020 M&G Investment Management is pursuing a bid for UK Mortgages on behalf of one of its managed funds, M&G Specialty Finance Fund. M&G said it had made several approaches to the listed UK Mortgages on behalf of the fund. It said all of the proposals, including the latest one at 67p per share valuing the [...]
Real estate investment firm Castleforge Partners closes third fund at over £270m July 17, 2020 London-based real estate investment firm Castleforge Partners has today announced the close of its third commercial fund at over £270m. Castleforge Partners III exceeded its predecessor by 15 per cent, even in the face of looming Brexit uncertainty and the global coronavirus pandemic. The investment fund received support from existing investors, with around 60 per [...]
What are the long-term prospects for healthcare investing post Covid-19? July 16, 2020 | City Talk The pandemic has shone a spotlight on healthcare but what happens when a vaccine is found? We asked Schroders’ investment experts for their views on the sector’s long-term prospects. The Covid-19 crisis has hurt most economic sectors this year. As of 30 June, healthcare was one of only three sectors to post positive year-to-date returns [...]
European private equity deals plunge to seven-year low July 16, 2020 European private equity deal volume plunged to its lowest point in seven years during the second quarter, with the UK suffering the greatest drop. Deal count and value dropped to their lowest quarterly figures since third quarter 203 and the fourth quarter of 2016, respectively due to uncertainty surrounding the virus. Pitchbook data shows 650 [...]
CVC looks to add coronavirus clauses to Six Nations investment July 15, 2020 CVC Capital Partners is reportedly looking to add coronavirus clauses to its planned £300m investment in the Six Nations rugby union tournament, which will allow the buyout firm to withhold funding if the pandemic disrupts the sport further. The private equity group is in the final stages of agreeing on a deal to take a [...]
No more posturing — impact matters more than dogma in the fight against climate change July 15, 2020 “As the number of products that claim to be linked to firms’ sustainability performance increases, we need to be careful to ensure that investors do not end up buying products that are marketed as sustainable when in reality they are not”. That’s the view of Steven Maijoor, chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority. [...]
Blackrock punishes 53 companies over inaction on climate change July 14, 2020 Blackrock has punished more than 50 companies over their inaction on global warming after warning of huge investment risks from climate change. In January chief executive Larry Fink said Blackrock would get tough on companies that were too slow to take action on climate change. It announced it would put environmental strategy at the core [...]
Want to be a better investor? Six tips from Howard Marks, CFA July 14, 2020 | City Talk “No amount of sophistication is going to allay the fact that all of your knowledge is about the past and all your decisions are about the future.” — Howard Marks, CFA Oaktree Capital Management co-chairman Howard Marks, CFA, sat down with Bloomberg senior editor John Authers at the 73rd CFA Institute Annual Virtual Conference and offered [...]
What are “accidental savers” doing with their surprise savings? July 14, 2020 | City Talk Lockdown restrictions have curbed spending, resulting in higher savings in the UK. Some of this has found its way into the financial markets; actively managed responsible investment funds have been the biggest beneficiaries. The words “accidental” and “saver” don’t often appear in the same sentence together. Saving usually takes some effort and requires sacrifices and [...]
Wealthy investors anticipate lasting lifestyle shifts after coronavirus July 13, 2020 Wealthy investors have not been immune to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and anticipate long-term lifestyle changes as a result. Three quarters of wealthy investors in the UK see a permanent shift in the wake of the crisis, according to research by wealth manager UBS. The survey of 200 UK-based investors, with between [...]