Tag Archives: Alternative investment

Alternative real estate popular in Europe, says AAA

April 21, 2012 straightlinepr Leave a comment

European investors are increasingly putting their money into alternative real estate, according to AAA.

Boston, MA, April 21, 2012 – European investors are increasingly putting their money into alternative real estate, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The alternative investment advocacy group said that a recent report from the Wall Street Journal pointed out that institutional investors are buying up unusual property, worth millions, as they look for alternative ways to make money away from the equity markets.

An example cited by the Wall Street Journal is Barclays Capital PLC’s plan to sell a majority stake in university Partnership Programme, which owns 22,000 student accommodation rooms, to Netherlands-based pension fund PGGM for £1 billion.

Another deal, also taking place in the UK, is Blackstone Group’s sell off of student accommodation blocks in London to Round Hill Capital for £400 million.

“There’s no denying that student accommodation is hot property at the moment,” stated AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson. He added, “institutional investors have had their fingers burned through their equity investments and are now looking to buy up property that they think will rise in value in the coming years.”

AAA said that this reflects the general attitude of investors at the moment, as they look to diversify their portfolios by seeking alternative asset classes.

AAA added that individuals can invest in real estate in emerging markets, particularly in Latin America, to get the very best deals in up and coming areas. It also recommends investing in sustainable forestry in these regions, as the entry investment needed is relatively low and returns regularly outperform traditional asset classes.

“Timber prices are set to rise in the coming few years and with opportunities to invest from as little as £10,000 through firms like Greenwood Management, which runs plantations in Brazil, there’s rarely been a better time to invest in forestry,” added Mr Johnson.

The demand for timber is increasing as a result of rapid economic growth in China, Brazil and India.

Contact;
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business

AAA agrees that 2012 could be a Great year for Wine investment

March 16, 2012 straightlinepr Leave a comment

vAn interview with UK-based wine investment fund, Vin-X’s founder and director, Peter Shakeshaft in myfinances.co.uk has underlined the benefits of investing in wine in the current economic climate, claims AAA.

Boston, MA, March 16, 2012 – An interview with UK-based wine investment fund, Vin-X’s founder and director, Peter Shakeshaft in myfinances.co.uk has underlined the benefits of investing in wine in the current economic climate, claims Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

AAA is an alternative investment advocacy group that supports many kinds of alternative investments, including ethical and impact investing. It’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, said, “many more investors are looking to alternative assets these days thanks to the volatility of the stock markets. Alternatives such as forestry, wine, art, commodities, currencies and real estate are attractive to those who want to spread the risk in their portfolios and protect against the impact of macro economic factors,” he explained.

Mr Shakeshaft said that investing in wine is a new market and that those who are new to this market will benefit from “dipping their toe” and beginning with investments of around £1,000 to £3,000 to increase their knowledge of the asset class and the market. He went on to add that 2012 could be the best year for investing in wine since 1993. He told myfinances.co.uk: “One reason [that 2012 could be a good year for investment] is that in 2011, the market had only its third price correction in 25 years.

“This means there are some superb opportunities in the market at the moment,” he added.

He also talked about how the consumption of wine in the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) is also adding to the value of some high-end wines. He went on to add that the entry level for investment is from around £1,000 and that returns are typically in double digits.

Another popular alternative that has similar entry requirements and returns is forestry investment. Investing in timber, through schemes such as those run by Greenwood Management in Brazil, can offer investors a tangible asset for which demand is growing rapidly, said AAA.

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business

The Guardian and AAA back Oikocredit impact investment fund

March 6, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

A fund offering investors 2 per cent returns on ethical, socially responsible investment projects has won backing from The Guardian and AAA.

Boston, MA, USA, March 06, 2012 — A fund offering investors 2 per cent returns on ethical, socially responsible investment projects has won backing from The Guardian and Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The newspaper and the alternative investment advocacy group are both supporting the Oikocredit investment fund, which is based in the Netherlands and provides small loans to help people living in developing countries. A recent article in the broadsheet explained that Oikocredit was first launched as a faith-based fund back in 1975, but that its roots do not affect the investment decisions it makes.

The fund started off facilitating churches’ loans to marginalised people in developing countries. It now offers “life changing” loans to projects and people in countries including Uganda and the Ivory Coast. One of the projects it has helped is the Cocovico women’s market, which was set up in 2008 by a group of village women in order to help them sell their produce without paying the fees charged by other markets.

Investors can expect a modest annual return a well as the knowledge that their cash is helping to change lives of vulnerable people all over the world. AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson said, “We fully support these kinds of small-scale loan projects in the developing world as the model has worked so well for so many people.”

“Many entrepreneurs and small businesses owners in less economically and politically sound countries have no access to finance at all, and therefore, their ideas and business often fall at the first hurdle. Impact investing project such as these truly create a win-win situation.”

AAA is an advocacy and research organisation that promotes ethical and alternative investments of many kinds. Not least investment in forestry as both a profitable and ethically sound option. An example is the sustainable plantation projects run by Greenwood Management in Brazil.

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business

AAA welcomes pro-alternative article by investing expert

February 21, 2012 staronepr Leave a comment

A recent article by City Commodities investment manager, Dan Fox, written in myfinances.co.uk, has been welcomed by AAA.

Boston, MA, USA, February 20, 2012 — A recent article by City Commodities investment manager, Dan Fox, written in myfinances.co.uk, has been welcomed by Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

AAA is an alternative investment advocacy group and its analysis partner, Anthony Johnson claims that Mr Fox’s article highlights some very important benefits of alternative investments. Mr Fox claimed that most investors would enjoy the process of investing in alternative assets more than traditional stocks and shares.

Mr Fox explained that the process of investing in ethical causes is also rewarding in a way that investing in faceless corporations will never be. He talked about how the carbon credits markets will heat up at the end of the year when the Kyoto agreement expires. He said, “The expiration of this agreement will see a large rise in Voluntary Emissions Reductions (VERs) which are a type of credit that fall outside the guidelines and obligations of Kyoto, and thus open up a wider range of initiatives designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Mr Johnson also points out Mr Fox’s assertion that alternative assets are more tangible and exciting that equities. AAA support investment in forestry as an excellent way to bring in strong returns while helping to increase CO2 absorption the protection and increase of forested land. An example is Greenwood Management‘s plantation scheme in Brazil, which allows investors to buy up sections of plantation land with all investors receiving returns based on the sustainable felling of trees after they have grown.

Mr Fox also talked about the satisfaction involved with spotting a great alternative asset class, which may even reflect one’s own interests, such as wine, rare coins or stamps or even designer clothing. Mr Fox explained, “Many people invest in fine wines and enjoy the excitement of building up an eclectic cellar as much as they do making money on it.”

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business

Chinese rush to buy gold as alternative investment, claims AAA

February 2, 2012 straightlinepr Leave a comment

The week-long new year festival in China has prompted huge sales in gold, as more and more Chinese investors turn to alternative asset classes, according to AAA.

Boston, MA, February 02, 2012 – The week-long new year festival in China has prompted huge sales in gold, as more and more Chinese investors turn to alternative asset classes, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The alternative investment advocacy group welcomed the news of the 57.6 per cent rise in sales of precious metal jewellery. Figures from the Ministry of Commerce also show that many people bought up investments in the form of gold bars and ingots, as well as the more traditional jewellery.

Guan Qiang, the assistant manager at Caibai, one of the most popular jewellery retailers in Beijing, said “Long treasured by Chinese, gold is no longer owned only by a privileged few, but has become a new investment channel open to all.” Giving gold as a gift to loved ones is a popular part of the New Year tradition, however, this year more than most, it is being sought out as an alternative investment, AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson said.

Mr Johnson explained that there is a lot of new wealth in China, but investors are concerned about investing in the stock markets, due to the fact that the global economy is still unstable. He explained, “investing in the stock market is no longer the obvious option for most, as alternatives that are more loosely correlated with wider economic performance are becoming more popular.”

Ms Qiang added, “You can hardly even see the gold bars, necklaces and pendants in the display case. People seem crazy about gold, snatching it up more like a ‘cheap cabbage’ than such a precious metal,”

AAA is a supporter of alternative investments of all kinds, but is especially interested in impact investing and other forms of ethical investments. This include forestry investment schemes like the non-native, sustainable plantation schemes operated by Greenwood Management in Brazil.

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business

AAA champions US real estate as alternative investment option

January 25, 2012 straightlinepr Leave a comment

A growing number of European investors could be turning to US real estate as an alternative investment this year, according to AAA.

Boston, MA, January 25, 2012 – A growing number of European investors could be turning to US real estate as an alternative investment this year, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The assertion comes in response to a report in the US about the popularity of US real estate among European investors who are growing less and less trusting of European assets. AAA, an alternative investment advocacy group, said that it is easy to see why US real estate could be more attractive than European real estate at the moment, in light of the ongoing Eurozone crisis.

“Quite simply, Europeans are finding it difficult to hold any confidence in their joint currency and its value,” stated Anthony Johnson, AAA’s analysis partner. He added “if the worst should happen and the Euro collapses, so could several property markets, and the value of the currency itself of course.”

Economists in the US claim that Las Vegas is proving a particularly attractive option due to its ‘brand’. Jed Kolko, a property analyst working for Discovery Bay in California, told the Las Vegas Review Journal: “The United States in general looks like a safer investment bet than Europe.”

He added that property prices in Las Vegas have also dropped to very appealing levels in the past few years, with some having fallen by 60 per cent from their peak before the recession took hold.

Kolko added, “There are great deals in Las Vegas. San Francisco is also a global destination, but there aren’t great real estate deals like you have in Las Vegas. So it’s a combination of global destination and affordability,”

AAA supports all kinds of alternative investments, with emphasis on ethical schemes in developing countries. An example is the forestry plantation investment scheme run by Greenwood Management in Brazil, which gives investors the chance to buy up small sections of plantations, on which non-native managed forests are grown under a sustainable model.

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business

India’s new elite will head towards alternatives, claims AAA

December 22, 2011 straightlinepr Leave a comment

Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA) agrees that India’s new high net worth population will help the alternative investment industry to experience a further boom.

Boston, MA, December 22, 2011 – Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA) agrees that India’s new high net worth population will help the alternative investment industry to experience a further boom.

Between now and 2016, the wealth of India’s richest is expected to treble and many of these wealthy individuals are eager to invest in alternative asset classes, claims AAA.

The alternative investment advocacy group backs reports from Karvy Private Wealth, which claim that private equity funds and other alternative funds will reap the benefit of India’s new-found wealth.

AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, stated, “There is no doubt that India’s elite will start to look for the very best, risk-averse ways to invest their cash.

“Along with those in the West, Indian investors are looking towards alternatives to provide a means of diversifying their portfolios to protect themselves against further unpredictable market crashes,” added Mr Johnson.

Karvy’s study said that Indian investors are actually even more averse to risk than their counterparts in more developed economies and will, therefore, focus on alternatives to provide them with returns that are not correlated with the stock markets.

However, Karvy said that wealthy Indians are not currently investing in alternative asset classes as much as they are expected to in the coming years, representing major growth opportunities for alternative fund providers.

AAA was keen to point out that alternatives and ethical investment is growing in popularity all over the world, as wealthy investors try to spread the risk tied up in their portfolios to protect against the impact of the economic crisis.

AAA promotes impact investing and other varieties of ethical investment, such as sustainable forestry investment through organisations like Greenwood Management in Brazil. These kinds of more boutique alternative investment providers should also benefit from the rush to invest among India’s new set of rich and savvy business people.

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com

Business

AAA Reports On Growing Appetite for Wine Investment

December 13, 2011 straightlinepr Leave a comment

More evidence that wine may be the new favourite among alternative investors has been unearthed, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

Boston, MA, December 12, 2011 – More evidence that wine may be the new favourite among alternative investors has been unearthed, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The Alternative investment advocacy and research group claims that Investment guru Michael Spencer’s purchase of a minority stake in “the Goldman Sachs of the wine market”, the Bordeaux Index, further demonstrates the asset class’s popularity.

“The fact that many alternative asset classes have become extremely pricey in recent months has meant that the more alternative of alternative assets are now becoming a more valid option for those looking to invest,” stated AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson.

He added “Although wine is still seen as somewhat of a niche investment market, this is changing rapidly and with high profile moves like this one, involving Mr Spencer, more investors could follow this lead.”

This is not just to do with the relative affordability, however. It is arguably more to do with the fact that wine has performed very well while other more traditional assets have taken a hit. The founder of Bordeaux Index, Gary Boom, said, “If you take wine from when we started measuring in 1983 it has outperformed all the stock exchanges out there. Not by masses, but by one or two per cent a year. The only commodity that has stood up to that is gold.”

Wine investment is also an effective diversifier for investment portfolios as it is much less likely to follow the same patterns as equity markets and has a low correlation with general economic trends. One of the major drivers in the wine market at the moment is the increasing demand from China where the population’s increasingly sophisticated tastes are leading to a boom in the market for all things luxurious. Hong Kong has also seen a rise in demand, helped along by the removal of a duty that was previously charged on wine.

Mr Johnson added, “alternative investors can also look at other more alternative alternatives for lower cost options, such as forestry investment products like those offered by Greenwood Management in Brazil. This firm offers people the chance to invest in their own piece of forest from around EUR 10,000.”

Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596
info@alternativeassetanalysis.com
http://www.alternativeassetanalysis.com