Woodford crisis wipes £36m off Kent County Council’s stake in flagship fund September 8, 2019 Kent County Council has seen £36m wiped off the value of its investment in Neil Woodford’s Equity Income Fund (EIF) since its suspension, new figures have shown. The beleaguered stockpicker’s flagship fund suspended withdrawals on 3 June after becoming overwhelmed by investors demanding their money back. An official disclosure, first reported in the Sunday Telegraph, [...]
Fresh blow for Woodford as suspended fund’s holdings take hit August 23, 2019 Neil Woodford has suffered his third setback of the day after it was announced that his suspended Equity Income Fund (EIF) significantly underperformed its industry benchmark. Link Fund Solutions, which is managing EIF’s suspension, said the fund had declined 11.15 per cent between 3 June and 21 August. By contrast, the fund’s industry benchmark – [...]
Woodford share price tumbles as it devalues holding in cold fusion company August 23, 2019 Shares in Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT), the listed fund of beleaguered stockpicker Neil Woodford, dropped over six per cent this morning after the company was forced to cut the value of one of its largest holdings, a controversial energy company backed by celebrities including Brad Pitt. WPCT said this morning that Link Fund Solutions [...]
Woodford to offload stake in Push Doctor-backer ADV to Legal & General August 13, 2019 Beleaguered fund manager Neil Woodford is set to offload his firm’s stake in Accelerated Digital Ventures (ADV), which has backed startups including GP on-demand service Push Doctor. Woodford Investment Management is expected to strike a deal this week to sell its 40 per cent stake in ADV to fellow shareholder Legal & General, Sky News [...]
New business down at Hargreaves Lansdown as Woodford scandal bites August 8, 2019 Hargreaves Lansdown has seen a drop in net new business as the impact of the Neil Woodford saga on the investment provider begins to become clear, but revenues and assets under administration still rose. The numbers Hargreaves Lansdown reported a four per cent drop in net new business for the year ending 30 June, which [...]
Shares crash as short seller Muddy Waters savages Burford Capital August 7, 2019 Litigation finance firm Burford Capital has come under attack from short seller Muddy Waters, which has accused Burford of “egregiously misrepresenting” returns. In a report out this morning, Muddy Waters confirmed that it now holds a short position on Burford, which it describes as “a poor business masquerading as a great one”. Shares in the [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown CEO and executives waive bonuses in wake of Woodford scandal August 7, 2019 Four executives including the chief executive of Hargreaves Lansdown will surrender their bonuses this year following pressure over the company’s support for Neil Woodford’s flagship fund. Hargreaves Lansdown continued to recommended Woodford’s equity income fund right up until it was suspended on 3 June after becoming overwhelmed by investor withdrawals. The gating of the fund [...]
When the fund stops: Why times are tough for UK asset managers August 6, 2019 It’s been a difficult year for the UK investment industry, and things could get worse before they get better. Fallout from the Woodford saga and increasing fears of a no-deal Brexit are continuing to pummel asset managers as they try to stem ongoing outflows. And with regulatory pressure ramping up, they are facing questions not [...]
Calls for clearer warnings of Woodford-style fund suspension risks August 5, 2019 Investors should be given clearer warnings about the risks of investing in funds that could suspend withdrawals, industry professionals have said. Neil Woodford’s equity income fund suspended trading in June after becoming overwhelmed by withdrawals, but it has been suggested that investors may not have understood that the fund could be suspended, leaving them unable [...]
Neil Woodford fund breaches rules after Guernsey delistings July 31, 2019 Embattled fund manager Neil Woodford has breached fund restrictions after two of his major investments delisted from the Guernsey stock exchange. Woodford has been battling to reduce his Equity Income fund’s investment in illiquid securities after it was suspended following a spike in investor redemption requests. Read more: Neil Woodford’s flagship fund to stay frozen [...]