Alternative Outlook

AGRICULTURAL land should be top of the list for anyone looking for a ‘safe’ investment, says land and estate agency firm Strutt & Parker.

Escalating global consumption and a dwindling food supply are just some of the reasons why farmland is a safe bet, illustrated by an increase in the value of farms and estates in Northumberland and the Borders by between 10 and 14 per cent in the last year.

Claire Whitfield, head of farm and estate sales in the north of England for Strutt & Parker, said: “Many premium farms and estates in …

Fine wine prices retreated 7.5% in the third quarter of the year, pointing to a “market correction” according to Bordeaux Index.

The London fine wine merchant is advising investors that even though there’s not an immediate likelihood of a strong rebound in prices – it will come back round.

Among the biggest victims of the slumping market have been many of the prestigious First Growth wines from ‘blue chip’ vintages that have shed up to a third of their price – along with selected 2008 wines that were inflated during a series of well-pu…

Since its wine tax was abolished, Hong Kong has emerged as Asia’s most important fine wine trading centre and the world’s most lucrative fine wine auction market.

SINCE 2008’S dramatic introduction of zero-rated tax for Hong Kong’s wine and beer imports, the city’s wine trade has undergone an explosive transformation.

“There used to be maybe 200 serious wine importers,” says Toby Marion, of US wine specialist Golden Gate Wines. “There’s probably 600 to 700 now, and the number of wine-related companies is said t…

A distinct allocation to gold within a portfolio including alternative assets such as private equity, hedge funds, real estate and commodities, can preserve capital and reduce risk without diminishing long-term returns, concludes the latest research from the World Gold Council.

The report, Gold: Alternative investment, foundation asset, analyses the effect gold has when included in a portfolio of mainstream and alternative assets. The research shows that portfolios with an allocation to gold of between 3.3% and 7.5% (depending on the risk t…

Following the recent close of its renewable energy EIS fund Elara I, Future Capital Partners (“FCP”), the £6 billion alternative investment boutique, has launched a new EIS fund that will give investors another chance to capitalise on the firm’s green energy strategy.

The new EIS fund,Elara II,targets an average gross equivalent annual rate of return of 29.28% and will be adopting a conservative investment strategy focused on lower risk opportunities in the renewable energy sector. Following Elara I Fund’s raise of £2 million, the new fund…

Is the bordeaux bubble about to burst? That is the question analysts are asking after new figures showed the price of investment-quality wine had tumbled 7.5% in the three months to September.

In the aftermath of the credit crunch wealthy investors poured their money into “alternative” investments such as fine wine, a trend that has seen the top vintages sell for six-figure sums.

Gary Boom, managing director at wine merchant and trader Bordeaux Index, blamed the drop on buyers becoming more savvy. He said: “The market has definitely defla…

The marine and wind energy industry will be celebrating today’s announcement, but other sectors are not so fortunate.

First the good news: after years of campaigning for stability, clarity and certainty for green investors, the government’s proposed changes to the Renewables Obligation scheme promise to deliver just that.

It is rare for the renewables industry and green NGOs to be united in their praise of government environmental policy, but the reaction to the launch today of the consultation has been largely, if not universally, posit…

As this year’s National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW) gets underway, Which? Money gives you a quick rundown of key ethical investing facts.
What is ethical investing?
Ethical investing means considering ethical issues as well as your own financial goals when making personal financial decisions. It can refer to areas of finance where the environmental, social, governance and ethical principles of the investors influence their investment decisions.

Ethical issues could include climate change, arms dealing, human rights abuses, oppressive re…

Oil and gas firms, big industrial players and pension funds will increase investment in renewable energy thanks to falling costs and a shorter payback time than for nuclear, Swiss private bank Sarasin said on Monday.

“The sector will become the target of progressive oil and gas companies and utilities and of blue chip firms in conventional industries,” the bank’s sustainability research analyst, Matthias Fawer, said at a press briefing in Frankfurt.

“Insurers such as Allianz and Munich Re (MUVGn.DE) are also looking to new invest…

We know from experience that many investors are interested in green, environmentally friendly investments. It’s an area that many people are genuinely concerned about and the idea that they can do some good at the same time as earning decent returns is a very appealing one.
What is Solar Energy?
I’m sure most people are familiar with the concept of harvesting energy from the sun to meet our every growing demand. The benefits of generating energy this way are clear – it’s abundant, free and clean. By one estimate the energy from the su…