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This week's articles: 30 November 2012

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November 30, 2012

FEATURES:

Time bomb

An ageing population brings both threat and opportunity to investors. Mark Robinson and Julian Hofmann investigate

Sipp diary - Moving out of cash

David Stevenson remains sceptical about the medium-term prospects for the global economy, but in the longer term he's bullish on equities

SEVEN DAYS:

All you need to know about investing in the past seven days: what's rising, what's falling and what's making the headlines.

 

NEWS:

Cold water plunge for Falkland Oil - FOGL's second exploration well in the South and East Falklands basin did not find oil prompting a sell-off in the shares. Where will they go from here?

Leyshon Resources makes unconventional discovery.

Osborne to miss debt target.

Chemring needs a plan.

Bonds show contrasts in risk - The latest news on the new bonds being rolled out.

Stobart bond flops.

Reassurance from Assura.

Interserve plugs pension with PFI.

Avingtrans on a Rolls.

Smith & Nephew gambles on healing.

 

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK:

Mining stocks: a weak inflation play - Chris Dillow says mining stocks are more sensitive to the general stock market than to commodity price inflation.

 

Next week's economics: Downgrades to GDP forecasts in the Autumn Statement will be old news - bu the new news next week is likely to be unpleasant too.

 

COMMENT:

Our columnists offer in-depth analysis and investment ideas:

The Editor: Gambling with the future - There are no easy answers to the pension time bomb facing the UK.

No free lunch: Project Avivacious: Mark Wilson's card is marked.

Mr Bearbull: Conjuring up value - There are lessons to be learnt from the plan to split conglomerate Cookson into two.

Chris Dillow: The borrowing problem - The problem with government borrowing is that it might be too low – which makes a case for tax cuts.

Property Matters: Property and movies - Land Securities' recent cinema acquisitions won't be the last in a sector short of income growth.

Simon Thompson: A lesson in Sirp - I have sound advice for stock picking in a low interest rate environment.

 

YOUR MONEY:

Financial planning, tax and investment wisdom:

Reader's portfolio: Too much property exposure.

Financial planning: Gender-neutral annuities are not so bad.

SmartMoney: You need a proper financial plan.

 

SHARE TIPS OF THE WEEK:

■ After two terrible years, few stones are being left unturned in the drive to make this insurer leaner and fitter. We think it's time to lock in ahead of a rerating, and we like the prefs as well as the ordinaries.

■ A downturn in the recycling sector means the share price of this utility could sink even further, and regulatory pressures are adding to those problems.

■ There's 10-bagger potential in this oil and gas minnow as it develops its acreage in the world's next big exploration hotspot.

■ A new ad campaign and a move into fixed-odds betting should help this betting firm get back on the right track.

 

FUND TIP OF THE WEEK:

This investment trust offers a good yield and the shares are trading at a discount to its net asset value.

 

BROKERS' TIPS:

Antrim Energy

Mears

 

SHARE TIP UPDATES:

Maple Energy

MDM Engineering

Picton

Real Estate Credit Investments

Zambeef

 

FUNDS:

Fund news: Income funds invested in Vodafone are a bad call.

How much? The Neptune Emerging Markets fund has high costs, but we can't see why as its performance is far from rosy.

The big theme: Banks have been in the doghouse since 2008 but now a growing number of fund managers are increasing their exposure.

Top 100 funds review: 3i Infrastructure not there yet.

ETFs: Flight from synthetic ETFs

 

SHARES:

The lowdown on the latest company results:

Aberdeen Asset Management

Advanced Computer Software

Avon Rubber

Britvic

Cranswick

Creston

Daily Mail & General Trust

Dart

Digital Barriers

Essar Energy

Fulcrum Utility Services

Fuller, Smith & Turner

Future

Grainger

Greencore

GW Pharma

Helical Bar

Iomart

KCom

KSK Power

Local Shopping Reit

Max Property

Mitchells & Butlers

 

Mothercare

Next 15 Communications

Quintain Estates

Renew Holdings

SABMiller

■ Sanderson

Scapa

Severn Trent

Telford Homes

Thomas Cook

Topps Tiles

UK Mail

United Utilities

Vp

Young & Co's

 

Stock screen: We turn to the grandfather of value investing'senterprise investor screen to find seven contrarian plays.

 

Sector focus: Picking engineering winners.

 

Directors' dealings: Notable transactions at Smiths News, plus a table of all boardroom share trades.

 

Week ahead: A summary of key company announcements expected in the coming week.

 

TAKEOVERS:

Download this week's takeover tables as a PDF.

 

TRADING:

Trading news: Tune into the ‘Loonie’

Trading ideas: Chart-driven calls on FTSE 100, Resolution, Sainsbury and Whitbread.

The Trader: Cliff of worry