Coronavirus squeezes mutual funds causing record fund outflows April 6, 2020 The coronavirus-induced market slump caused record fund outflows last month, with fixed income funds particularly badly hit. Investors redeemed a record £3.1bn of their fund holdings in March, according to global funds network Calastone. It represents almost three times the outflows recorded in the previous worst month in June 2016 when the UK voted to [...]
Invesco and Woodford protege Mark Barnett sacked by Perpetual Income and Growth April 6, 2020 Perpetual Income and Growth Investment Trust has sacked Invesco fund manager Mark Barnett for underperformance, ending months of uncertainty. Barnett, one of Neil Woodford’s former proteges, had run the trust for more than two decades. It is a further blow to the manager who was also sacked by Edinburgh Investment Trust at the end of [...]
Gresham House Strategic retains commitment to raising dividend April 6, 2020 Gresham House Strategic will raise its dividend as its board and manager insist the firm is “well-positioned” during the coronavirus crisis. In a statement, Gresham House Strategic’s board and manager say they “retain confidence” in the strategy and will retain their commitment to raising the dividend 15 per cent. The investment company said it had [...]
Investors seek greater clarity from boards amid coronavirus outbreak April 3, 2020 Investors are calling for greater clarity from boards as the coronavirus crisis wreaks havoc on the markets and upends financial guidance and AGMs. Investors are expecting more communication, whether through public disclosures or direct contact with management, to weather the storm over the next few months. Some investors have highlighted the lack of communication coming [...]
The impact of coronavirus on dividends April 2, 2020 | City Talk As UK banks temporarily suspend all dividend payments, we discuss the effect coronavirus could have on a vital source of income for investors. What’s happening to dividends? The coronavirus crisis and oil price war are having a profound impact on economic growth and the cash position of companies. Many businesses in the most affected sectors [...]
Ethical investment funds — not making the grade? April 1, 2020 Survey after survey has shown that people want their money invested ethically. But what does that mean? And, crucially, do so-called “ethical” funds provide what savers are looking for, or is there a mismatch here? Ethically-labelled investment funds have a list of exclusions — various types of company that they will not invest in because [...]
M&G’s flagship bond fund faces £100m daily outflows March 30, 2020 M&G’s flagship bond has become the latest casualty of the coronavirus-induced market sell-off, as investors pull £100m a day from the fund. Investors have pulled £2.5bn from M&G Optimal Income since mid-February, according to the Financial Times, as the coronavirus outbreak pushed investors towards the safety of cash. M&G, which is run by Richard Woolnough, [...]
Coronavirus dividend cuts produce £4.4bn hit to investor portfolios March 27, 2020 With more UK firms announcing coronavirus-fuelled dividend cuts this week, the total loss of investor income so far this year is now £4.4bn. The pace of dividend cuts is accelerating as coronavirus wreaks havoc on world economies. In March 116 companies have suspended their dividends totalling £4.2bn, according to investment fund AJ Bell. That compares [...]
Investors flee UK funds for cash with bond funds the worst hit March 26, 2020 Record amounts have flowed out of UK funds this month with bond funds hit the hardest as investors flocked towards cash. As the coronavirus crisis deepens and fears of a recession mount, UK funds have shed £4.4bn in the month to date, according to figures from global funds network Calastone. This week there was a [...]
Goodwill hunting: accountants in the spotlight March 26, 2020 | City Talk Goodwill in accounting – an intangible asset that is recorded when a buyer acquires a business – has risen up the political agenda on both sides of the Atlantic. In the UK we have seen pressure applied to the London-headquartered International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in the wake of high-profile failures such as Carillion, the [...]