Our Weekly Newsletter
Across Instinctif Partners’ Financial Services team, we are always keeping an eye on the key developments taking place across the sector to evaluate their impact on the many businesses we work with. Here we share our picks of the week’s most interesting news, and our expert views.
Fund houses fail to meet “spirit” of FCA value rules, report warns
Value reports need to be easier to locate, more user-friendly and disclose costs better in line with FCA rules, according to analysis by CFA UK studying 145 asset managers. While reporting on fund performance was generally adequate, nearly a quarter of the reports analysed did not clearly outline their investment objectives, and 42% failed to state the ongoing charge at fund level. The CFA also found value reports were often not easily available to investors and were unable to locate 25% of the target reports. (From FT Adviser, 1 February 2021)
Silver price reaches eight-year high as small investors snap it up
Silver prices hit an eight-year high on Monday, reaching $30 an ounce for the first time since 2013. The precious metal sparked a trading frenzy following posts made on the Reddit social network, encouraging amateur traders to buy silver in the belief that lifting its physical price could hurt large investors who had made paper bets that it would fall. The same logic was behind an explosion in the share price of US retailer GameStop, when Redditors drove up a share price that hedge funds had bet against. (From The Guardian, 1 February 2021)
UK house prices fall for first time since June
UK house prices fell for the first time since June 2020, according to Nationwide’s latest House Price Index. Average house prices dipped 0.3% over the last month, partly driven by potential buyers becoming more reticent to begin transactions due to concerns they will complete after the end of the Stamp Duty holiday. House prices are expected to fall further over the course of the year as a result of higher unemployment once the furlough scheme is fully wound down. (From Mortgage Solutions, 2 February 2021)
Retirement savers to be given greater control over retirement savings
Hundreds of thousands of people turning 55 this year are to be offered retirement options to give them greater control over their pensions under a shake-up designed to help inexperienced retail investors avoid costly investment mistakes. The new rules will mean pension companies must offer “retirement pathways” to their customers looking to move their pension savings to a drawdown account, where the retirement cash is left invested and can be taken as a lump sum or income. (From FT, 29 January 2021)
Investors set to pile £46bn into London’s commercial real estate market
Investors are set to flow into London’s commercial real estate market once the pandemic-induced restrictions on economic activity have eased, according to research by Knight Frank. Investors see the capital’s office market as a safe haven asset to allocate their capital due in part to its reputation for yielding reliable income streams. (From Financial News, 3 February 2021)