Alternative Outlook

A looming flare-up in the eurozone crisis over Spain will drive the price of gold towards $2,000 (£1,255) an ounce this year, a leading consultancy predicts.

Rising fears about the region’s fourth largest economy will send a fresh flood… Continue Reading Gold ‘to hit $2,000′ on Spain fears

Agriculture is a challenging investment with great potential, according to consulting firm bfinance.

The reason: Rising food prices, agricultural land’s long-term inflation-linked characteristics, and low correlation to most asset classes ar… Continue Reading Agriculture Investing: A Diamond in the Rough?

Silver bulls may be hoping that the metal’s healthy first-quarter price rise is the first step back towards record highs. Not so fast.

Its advocates say silver, which occupies a middle ground between industrial metals like copper and investmen… Continue Reading Silver: poor man’s gold turning to fool’s gold?

Bamboo is being hailed as a new super material, with uses ranging from textiles to construction. It also has the potential to absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, the biggest greenhouse gas, and provide some of the world’s poorest people with … Continue Reading Booming bamboo: The next super-material?

English farmland prices rose on average by 0.4% in the first three months of 2012, following drops of almost 1% in each of the final two quarters of last year. The average value of agricultural land is now £6,073/acre. This is just £83 below the… Continue Reading English farmland values edge up, as investor interest rises

Should you use this year’s ISA allowance to invest in an ethical fund?

Experts remained divided on whether these funds, which exclude so-called ‘vice’ stocks, can do better than other funds, those that can invest without restrictions.

The th… Continue Reading How to use your investing ISA to improve the world