News Round Up

Property trust reports $10 mill profit, Palms now available online, Fund Manager of the Year.

Monday, February 18th 2002, 11:16PM

No fee offer
JB Were has waived the entry fee on its Trans Tasman Equity fund until April 30.

The fund, which is managed out of Auckland by Paul Harrison, is an absolute return fund which invests in shares in Australia and New Zealand.

Over the past three years it has achieved an annual compound return of just under 14% annually.

Last week we reported the no entry fee offer was for two months, when it is in fact three.

For more information on this fund click here.

Fund manager of the year

The 2001 Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year in Australia is Perpetual Investments. For the second year running, the fund manager has been deemed by Morningstar to have "maintained the highest level of funds management excellence" during the calendar year.

Perpetual was named Morningstar Australian Equities Fund Manager of the Year, and was a finalist in the Morningstar Multisector Fund Manager of the Year category as well - a category that was won by Zurich Financial Services.

Perpetual offers its funds in New Zealand and is running a roadshow for advisers in May. Perpetual is also a sponsor of last year's Financial Planner of the Year Awards in New Zealand.

Morningstar will announce the winners of the New Zealand Fund Manager of the Year Awards this weekend.

Colonial First State Property Fund
Colonial First State Property Trust has posted a net surplus of $10.96m for the nine months to December31.

General manager Lloyd Cundy says that the New Zealand property market is very active, with several large commercial transactions having already occurred in 2002.

"This increased level of activity is likely to continue throughout 2002 on the back of the current steady low interest rate environment."

The trust’s third interim distribution for the year ending March 31 will be paid on 22 March 2002. Unitholders will receive a gross distribution of 2.63 cents per unit made up of 2.2 cents cash and a 0.43 cent imputation credit. The Trust’s NTA increased from 98.24 cents per unit as at 30 September 2001 to 98.77 as at 31 December 2001.

Palms now available
Good Returns' bookstore is now selling Palm pilot handheld computers at great prices.

Palm pilots are becoming a key tool for people in the financial services industry as they are able to hold large amounts of paper and financial services firms are developing software specifically for use on these devices.

AXA has taken the lead in this area by writing easy-to-use software that allows advisers to do quotes for term life and income protection in the field without needing to resort to clunky laptops. Likewise it has also developed a retirement calculator for Palms.

Advisers using this software on a Palm say it is a wonderful tool because it is easy to use, the Palm is small, plus they can easily provide clients with good information.

To buy your Palm click here or for more information call 0800-345675.

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