Alternative Outlook

Is the farmland bubble bursting?

In the short term, no. But, in the longer term, a few key factors may contribute to downward pressure on land values. But at the same time, there’s equal reason to believe the sharply higher trend in land values may only sharpen further.

Looking ahead to 2013, the explosion in land values is expected to fizzle a bit, but still remain burning driven largely by what’s expected to be a rise in interest rates and a softening of the commodity marketplace. But, that’s not an altogether bad thing, accordin…

Buying art can reap financial rewards – if you know what you’re looking for, says Alison Steed.

Investing in the markets when they are as volatile as they are at present may not seem that appealing, but if you prefer to take a view on some of the finer things in life, then you might want to consider some alternative investments.

Putting your hard-earned cash into the likes of fine wine, classic cars or artworks may seem like a frivolous activity at first suggestion, but there is serious money to be made if you in…

Changes to subsidies for renewable electricity could incentivise between £20 billion and £25 billion of new investment in the economy between 2013 and 2017. The Banding Review for the Renewables Obligation will support jobs and deliver more clean power with a reduction in costs to consumers between 2013 and 2015, Ministers said.

Bandings were today set for renewable technologies under the Renewables Obligation – the Government’s main mechanism for supporting large-scale renewables – for the period 2013-17 (2014-17 for offshore wind)….

If the earth could speak to us what would it say?

“Help me to help you?” “Enough is enough!” There are just too many people on planet earth now – with not enough food, not enough fuel and not enough shelter to go round. Our resource constrained world needs our support on every level, and what we put in right now, we might just reap the rewards from, in more ways than one. But how can the individual investor play a part? Intelligent Partnership have produced an infographic (below) to help explain just how much help the earth need…

For many years, investing in gold has been seen as a risky method of saving or investment and has generally been disapproved of by the financial services industry, not only in the UK but internationally.

Gold bullion was not seen as profitable enough for financial organisations or advisors (such as banks and stockbrokers), because it is usually purchased and kept as a long term investment, passing it on to future generations. Because of this, financial organisations do not make continuous profits and can therefore be reluctant to prom…

The average value of Scottish farm land has almost doubled over the past five years, according to the latest Knight Frank Scottish Farmland Index.

Top quality arable land is now worth just over £7,053 an acre, with ploughable grassland at £3,600 an acre and hill land at £614 an acre.

Farm land values rose by 3% on average during the first half of 2012, slowing slightly in the second quarter of the year with prices increasing by just 1% but the prediction is for further growth in values of 3% over the next 12 months.

‘Peopl…

Investors have warned that government delays in deciding the future of onshore wind energy subsidies could jeopardise billions of pounds of investment and damage the prospects for new green jobs in the UK.

A decision on whether onshore wind energy subsidies should be cut by 10%, as the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) has proposed, or by 25%, as the Treasury wants, was expected this week. However, the two departments and senior cabinet members are still at war over the changes and the decision has been deferred – pot…

This report on the recent trends in the gold price also covers the role of gold within a portfolio along with both short term and long term analysis on gold performance. The report was prepared by Luke Jackson who recently joined Intelligent Partnership as an Account Executive with a specific focus on product research and due diligence.

Gold Price Update & Outlook
Compiled by Luke Jackson, Account Executive at Intelligent Partnership

Recent Gold Demand Trends

2011 was a record year for gold demand with total value exceeding the…

A RURAL estate with manor, land and commercial interests would have outperformed antiques, wine, equities, commercial and residential property as an investment over the past year, according to a survey of eight recognised investment assets.

An estate of 3,208 acres would have taken third place in the most worthwhile investments according to the eight categories, behind gold and classic cars, says property consultancy Carter Jonas.

But agricultural land alone, without any other property or commercial diversity, outperformed all ot…

“Renewable energy has come of age.”

That’s how Maria van der Hoeven, executive director of the International Energy Agency, explained to reporters last week why, for the first time in its history, the oil-focused IEA would be producing medium-term market reports on sources like solar, wind, biomass and other forms of non-hydrocarbon-based sources of power.

“Renewable energy has seen a huge expansion in the last decade and has increasingly become a part of the global energy mix, and today with the arrival of this report, rene…