Share Sounds from The Investment Hour with Juliette Foster

The US Federal Reserve says it's upbeat about America's economy while the recent pick-up in inflation is on track to hit the Fed's target of 2%. It's a timely prognosis that comes ahead of next week's meeting of Fed officials and after February's employment data showed the US economy is creating more jobs. So if you're looking to take a punt on the world's biggest economy, what's the best way to get in? Cole Smead is a Co- Portfolio Manager of the Washington based investment advisor, "Smead Capital Management" and he joined Juliette Foster in the studio.

A survey by the professional services firm, Deloitte, claims the Infrastructure Investment sector is facing a tough time amidst a 'risky regulatory environment'. The report surveyed 25 European infrastructure investors, including direct lenders, and amongst other things, examined how they're managing their assets. So what else did they find? Juliette Foster is joined on the line by Jason Clatworthy, an infrastructure M&A partner at Deloitte.

The world's financial markets got off to a wobbly start earlier in the year as fears over the health of the global economy - and China in particular - punched a hole in the value of sectors that traditionally perform well. However it wasn't all bad news as biotechnology companies held their ground and they've continued to go from strength to strength, delivering impressive returns to investors. Carl Harald Janson is the manager of the "International Biotechnology Trust" and he joins Juliette Foster in the studio.

Investment Perspectives: What is fact and what is fiction? That question has never been more pertinent as the UK weighs up the arguments ahead of the In/Out referendum on June 23rd. Rathbones, the UK provider of personalised investment management and wealth management services, has published a new report that specifically looks to address five myths around key areas of the Brexit debate: immigration, trade, financials, public finance, and foreign investment. Share Radio's Michael Considine discussed some of them with Ed Smith, Asset Allocation Strategist at Rathbones and began by asking him whether the arguments against immigration stood up to investigation.

Investment Perspectives: As you've been hearing in the news, the International Monetary Fund has warned that Europe faces severe economic and political damage if Britain votes to leave the EU in June's upcoming referendum. In its latest global update the IMF claimed a BREXIT would disrupt established trading relationships and cause "major challenges" for both the UK and the rest of Europe. Campaigners who want Britain to leave Europe say that IMF forecasts about Britain and other countries had been "consistently wrong" and that the biggest risks were "remaining in an unreformed EU". Arguments over whether Britain should stay in our out of Europe are of limited help to investors looking to position their financial portfolios in the run up to the vote. So where are the safe havens to put the money? Is it worth making any plans or should investors just sit tight and see how the drama plays out? Nizam Hamid, ETF Strategist at WisdomTree Europe and he joins Investment Perspectives presenter Juliette Foster, in the studio.

A survey by the professional services group Deloitte, reveals that support for Britain to stay in the European Union, has risen among the Chief Financial Officers of the UK's biggest companies. It also found that the possibility of a British exit, is now the top issue on the corporate worry list. Ian Stewart, is the Chief Economist at Deloitte, and he joined Investment Perspectives host Juliette Foster in the studio for more analysis of the new survey.

In recent years pensions have become a hot button topic for discussion, especially as we're now living longer and have been primed by successive governments to expect to work beyond the age of 65. So for the newly retired or those who aren't far off, what can they do to get their best out of their money? Adam Ryan is a manager at Blackrock Income Strategies Investment Trust and he joins Juliette Foster in the studio.

The aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus are predicting bumper orders over the next twenty years from India, the world's ninth biggest economy. They believe that India's position as a fast growing market has the potential to offset weaker sales elsewhere. Some analysts believe that by 2040 over 50,000 new planes could be in the skies thanks to strong demand from emerging markets. So is aviation a sector worth sticking with? What are the ethical issues investors need to think about? Or should they be looking at alternative sectors? Ketan Patel is Associate Fund Manager of the Amity UK fund at EdenTree Investment Management and joined Juliette Foster in the studio.

Japan's central bank kept its powder dry at its March policy review and held off from bolstering its record stimulus policy. Economists believe that BOJ governor Kuroda Haruhiko could produce further stimulus measures in July as the economy absorbs the negative rate strategy the bank introduced in January. So, where does that leave investors tempted to put their money into Japan's markets? Can they get good returns, or are the risks too high? Juliette Foster was joined in the studio by Richard Aston, Manager of the Japan Income & Growth Fund at Coupland Cardiff Asset Management.

The Institute of Financial Services student investor challenge is the UK's largest investment competition for schools. The competition gives small teams two virtual investment portfolios of £100,000. With this they are challenged to make both short-term and strategic trades over 3 months. This year, five hundred teams of students have outperformed the stock market and secured places in the Semi-finals. In the final they will have a shot at an all-expenses paid trip to New York as well as a £2,000 cash prize. On the line was Vice Principal of IFS University College, Alison Pask for more.