Wednesday 20 March 2013

Portfolio Buy: Balfour Beatty (LSE:BBY)

It's a real problem for a DIY Income Investor knowing what to invest in at the moment.

First, the Pound has fallen, so going abroad is expensive. Second fixed-income securities are fully priced because of a combination of low interest rates and Quantitative Easting. Finally, cash returns are dismal.

So, the only place to go seems to be back to high-yield dividend shares.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Portfolio Sale: Sainsbury (LSE:SBRY)

Don't get me wrong, I think Sainsbury's is great and the latest trading statement bears this out. But I'm not built like Warren Buffett (who likes to buy good companies cheaply and hold them for ever) and I want to 'bank' my gains.

So, like the logo says, I think I'll try something new - but maybe not today.

Tuesday 12 March 2013

Portfolio Sale: Intermediate Capital Group (LSE:ICP)

It must rank as one of the more confusing stock market tickers: ICP - which you might assume was associated with the company ICAP (no relation, of course -  their ticker is instead IAP), while this company itself is marketed as ICG (or icg, if you want to be artistic). But maybe that's just me.

I bought this share just in August 2012 as a route into the financial world of the rich and famous...

Thursday 7 March 2013

Portfolio Buy: Tullett Prebon (LSE:TLPR)


My recent profit-taking from selling fixed-interest bonds has left me with cash sitting idle. However, a burst of diversification from Sterling has had to be put on hold due to the fall in the Pound. And I don't really want to invest in fully-priced bonds.

So logic leads me back to high-yield dividend shares, like Tullett Prebon - which is currently yielding over 6%.

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Portfolio Buy: RateSetter Peer-to-Peer Lending

The latest purchase for the portfolio is an alternative to a cash savings bond, as the rate of interest on these is no longer attractive enough.

So, for the first time, I am stepping into the world of 'peer-to-peer' lending. This is a way of borrowing and lending money that bypasses the High Street banks - individuals lend to other individuals, with a company providing the credit checks and collecting the repayments for you.