August 2016

By Sinead Cruise and Simon Jessop | LONDON - REUTERS Alternative investments such as a Ferrari 335 S Scaglietti, a rare blue diamond or a case of Romanee-Conti Grand Cru wine from Burgundy are going mainstream as investors grapple with ultra-low interest rates and volatile stocks. Spooked by the end of a 30-year bond bull run and bouts of money printing which have pushed stock values out of kilter with economic reality, high-profile investors are turning to fine wines, classic cars and jewels, research and index data show. Even legendary bond investor and ex-Pimco boss Bill Gross said last week he now favoured real assets like land and gold over more traditional investment classes. This growing interest saw rare coins, collectible jewellery and classic cars join fine wine among the top performers in the year to end-March, the latest Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index (KFLII) showed. And fine wine saw its largest positive monthly movement...

Ophir Gertner Friday 22 July 2016 3:33pm It's hard to believe it's only been a month since the EU referendum. Around £2 trillion was wiped off the value of global markets within a fortnight, the pound has fallen to its lowest point in three decades and British politics has descended into a virtual musical chairs, transforming in the process. The investors who have benefited most since the surprise pro-Brexit vote are those who have strayed from traditional asset classes such as bonds and equities and have looked to alternatives such as fine wine. This asset class has traditionally been the preserve of the elite, but now that there are risk-managed ways for retail investors to invest in them, they’re taking advantage. Alternative investments offer three key benefits to buyers: higher return potential – they seek to outperform traditional markets by being continuously active; market protection – unlike traditional ‘buy and hold’ investments, they can profit even...