Money under the Mattress

As a long term investor I am content with the performance of my easiest to track and best performing portfolio, above.

McInroy & Wood’s Balanced Fund was up 12% last year, as was the MSCI World Index. A more than creditable performance from a cautious asset manager with only 65% exposure to Equities. M%W have 29% in Bonds, 5% in gold and 1% under the mattress in cash. If I might digress, the last an investment strategy espoused by Lester Piggott that, with other evasions, put him in prison for a year. Ken Dodd was in a similar situation but, no doubt reluctantly, splashed out on George Carman to get him off.

Dodd was represented by George Carman QC, who in court quipped, “Some accountants are comedians, but comedians are never accountants”. He described Dodd as “a fantasist stamped with lifelong eccentricities.” The trial lasted three weeks; Dodd was acquitted. (Wikipedia)

My pension has done surprisingly well but my tax free ISA is hardly up at all and that account has the benefit of the income being re-invested and an injection of fresh funds.

Palm oil is a volatile market, above. MP Evans share price is not much changed over last year. It is worth noting their production of crude palm oil went up 17% last year but they are still investing in new mills. However, they should be able to increase their dividend significantly in a few years when they have reduced debt. From being a takeover stock it’s morphing into an income engine. As you look at the palm oil price ponder on this: the cost of production is less than 400.

The Last Czars on Netflix and The Great on Channel 4 have disappointed. One of the few dates in my canary yellow Smythson’s ‘Featherweight’ diary this year was to have lunch today with another Peter the Great: the chairman of MP Evans. Cancellation another disappointment – another tear falls.