Specialist

OPTIMISM as to the prospects for property funds in 2008 was the surprising finding from Standard & Poor's Fund Services' latest round of fund manager interviews.

Close Investments has announced it is to suspend dealing on its Closepip property fund in order to s...

Sarah Godfrey looks at how Austin Forey and his team have steered the JPMorgan Emerging Markets fund towards returns of over 300% in the last five years

CLOSE Investments has become the latest commercial property fund manager to announce a temporary suspension in trading in one of its funds.

STANDARD Life Investments' Select Property fund has increased its direct exposure to the Asia Pacific region.

SCOTTISH Equitable has suspended withdrawals on its £2bn property fund, denying 129,000 investors access to their money for up to a year.

TREVOR Greetham, manager of the Fidelity Multi-Asset Strategic fund, has identified mining stocks as the top performers in world stock markets over 2007, while recognizing that banks shouldered the greatest losses.

INVESTING in Africa, commodities, environmental markets and for absolute returns are the four highly topical subjects being addressed by a quartet of investment experts at an upcoming Meet the Managers conference.

Investor returns

GUINNESS Asset Management has launched the Guinness Alternative Energy fund, replicating the group's existing US vehicle.