Alternative Outlook

Investor interest in agriculture is continuing to rise and investment experts expect to double assets under management in the next three years, according to a survey.

But several factors, including the lack of transparency of this still-emerging asset class, are making some investors skittish. “That is one of the main issues,” said Bill Kiernan, director of research for global agriculture investment at consulting firm HighQuest Partners. “The whole idea of investing into agriculture as a sector … is really pretty new and it has been growin…

Experts warn that the precious metal’s price will fall and is not a safe short-term bet for your cash. Emma Dunkley reports

If you think gold is one of the few places left to get decent returns, think again. Gold is often touted as a “safe-haven” and as one of the best ways to protect the value of your money against rising prices, but you could be in for a shock if you’re betting the price of the precious metal will carry on rising.

Top fund managers such as Schroders Private Bank warn gold is expensive and a fall in its price co…

More than twenty companies have signed a partnership agreement to turn the North Sea into a major renewable energy hub focusing on offshore wind power, Prime Minister David Cameron is to announce on Thursday.

Major utilities, such as Britain’s Scottish Power and Norway’s Statoil , manufacturers from Siemens to Gamesa and supply chain companies are supporting the initiative, provisionally named Norstec.

“Our commitment and investment in renewable energy has helped to make renewable energy possible. Now we have a different chall…

Agricultural prices have been rallying for several years now, but Jim Rogers thinks there’s still room to grow.

The commodities investor said on Tuesday that he is still bullish on agriculture, calling it a great place for investors to be for the next two decades.

Prices of agricultural commodities are still relatively cheap compared to those of metals and energy, and the world is scrambling for arable farmlands to feed a growing population, Mr. Rogers told a packed audience at the Global AgInvesting conference, at the Waldorf-Asto…

Industry poised for expansion if green targets are met, although separate study warns Big Six investment in clean energy may fall.

Meeting the UK’s renewable energy targets would create a world-leading industry capable of supporting 400,000 jobs and saving the country £60bn in oil and gas imports, according to a new analysis released today.

The report by the Renewable Energy Association (REA) predicts that meeting the UK’s mandatory target of producing 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 would result in annual …

Responding to strong demand, asset management firm Land Commodities has plans to launch its first retail farmland fund.

Investing in farmland is a notoriously difficult area for private investors to become involved in.

Although there are several agricultural funds available in the retail space, a pure farmland investment is difficult to come by. Firms attribute this lack of opportunity to the cost and illiquidity of the asset.

Now asset management company Land Commodities has given in to popular demand and has begun research into …

A piece of land in the country is a fine aspiration for any City gentleman, but it could also prove a shrewd investment move. With the markets far from certain and inflation a concern, farmland is looking more and more appealing.

Land has a lot going for it. There is nothing more tangible than a piece of earth to call your own and unlike similar investments, such as gold, land will provide an income. While it is possible to bring more land into production, it is clear that demand is going to continue to outstrip supply for the foreseeab…

Dubbed the “most comprehensive to date”, it replaces the Liv-ex Fine Wine 500 as this was based on merchant’s list prices rather than actual trading prices on the platform.

The new index represents the movement of the 10 most recent physical vintages of the leading 45 Bordeaux châteaux (and the first growths’ second wines to make 50 wines in total) and will be calculated monthly using the platform’s “mid price” system.

The new index is comprised of six “subindices” tracking various components in the Bordeaux wine …

GFMS’s Philip Klapwijk maintains that gold investment demand will stay healthy through the course of 2012 on the back of continued loose monetary policy and worries about the US and Europe.

Investment demand for gold has grown consistently over the course of the yellow metal’s bull run and, 2012 is likely to continue this trend.

This is the view of Philip Klapwijk, Global head of metals analysis at Thomson Reuters GFMS.

Speaking at the Denver Gold Group European Gold Forum, Klapwijk , supported his view by looking at a number of fa…

Rocketing farmland prices are forecast to average £10,000 per acre by 2015 – four times what they were in 1995.

According to a report from Knight Frank, investors from home and abroad view Westcountry farmland as a safe haven for their cash, while the region’s farmers have been borrowing to expand their existing holdings. Demand is currently outpacing supply in a land-grab fuelled by a combination of existing farmers buying up neighbours’ land whenever it comes to market and City investors opting for the security of farmland …