feature INDEX
Alternative
investments W
Current market instability is
prompting the smart money to look at investment opportunities beyond the world of stocks and shares, Anita Turland explores the options with local experts
Robert Hunter
ith global economic confi dence at a low ebb, savvy investors are looking for ways
of making spare cash work harder. Indeed, the sustained low interest rate environment and volatility of fi nancial markets is boosting the appeal of investments such as gold, wine, art, and stamps.
Gold
Robert Hunter, CEO of Havelock Hunter Stockbrokers in Tunbridge Wells, says his company is seeing more interest from people looking for exposure to gold. “The price of gold has risen strongly over the last few years, particularly in the last twelve months, and investors have been keen to benefi t by including gold in their portfolios.” According to the World Gold Council, the appeal of gold is not a new phenomenon. Investors have looked to gold as a safer store of
14
value during times of fi nancial stress for centuries.
The most popular way of investing in gold is to buy coins, small bars, or gold mining shares. However, new instruments called Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are making it easy for investors to gain exposure to gold. An ETF is a security that tracks a commodity like an index fund but trades like a stock on an exchange. “The ETF market gives investors
exposure to precious metals without having to physically purchase them,” explains Robert Hunter. “For example, people can invest in gold without having to buy and store gold bars.”
He is keen to point out, however, that exchange traded funds should only be considered in relation to a balanced investment portfolio: “ETFs can be high risk investments, and we believe they should form a small percentage of a balanced portfolio with, typically, index-linked government bonds, equities and unit and investment trusts for private investors.”
www.indexmagazine.co.uk
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