Retail and construction sectors are stockpickers' environments

The Bank of England's decision to maintain the Bank base rate at 4.5% for six consecutive months has not dampened all consumers' penchant for spending. It is for this reason, James Ridgewell, manager of the New Star UK Special Situations fund, says he will continue to watch the retail sector closely. He notes cheap retailers, such as Land of Leather and House of Fraser, are delivering growth of more than 40% and yields of 4%. He comments: "Despite the recent 'headline' retail sales data, I believe there are profitable investments to be made within the retail sector. "Clearly, the cons...