Investing in whisky can pay off claims AAA

Although the wine investment market is going through a tough spell at the moment, investing in whisky could still be worth considering for those who want to turn a hobby into a money-spinner, according to AAA.

Boston, MA, USA, May 3, 2012 -- Although the wine investment market is going through a tough spell at the moment, investing in whisky could still be worth considering for those who want to turn a hobby into a money-spinner, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The alternative investment advocacy group claims that there is money to be made from investing in rare Scotch and other whiskies, that could grow in value over the coming years. AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, explained: “many of us are looking for a true alternative investment strategy, which will leave us clear to avoid dealing with stocks, shares banks and bonds. Whisky could be the answer.”

One of the major draws for whisky investors is rare one-off releases, such as John Walker and Sons Diamond Jubilee Whisky, which is priced at £100,000. Although this does come at a high price, the exclusivity of this asset could prove its winning characteristic in a few years time, claims Mr Johnson.

This is not based on rumour, but on fact. “The top-performing ten whiskies gained 400 per cent of their value between 2008 and 2011,” claimed Mr Johnson. Gains of 245 per cent were recorded for the top 100.

Some less expensive whiskies can also prove profitable and a little less risky, claimed AAA, which advocates a wide range of alternative investments. It added that single malts from producers like Macallan and Glenlivet can turn a good profit - particularly if you buy up some rare or older varieties, according to AAA.

As well as interest-based alternatives, like investing in art, wine, whisky, collectibles and real estate, AAA also promotes investing in forestry and timber. “Fast growing timber species, like teak and eucalyptus, can be grown rapidly and sold for a huge profit once the trees reach maturity,"explained Mr Johnson. Those interested in investing in such plantations can contact Greenwood Management about their sustainable projects in Brazil.

About Alternative Asset Analysis:
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Media Contact:
Anthony Johnson
Alternative Asset Analysis
71 Commercial St
Boston, MA 02109-1320
617-939-9596

Sustainability receiving Boost from Investors, claims FRA

Forestry investors are helping to boost sustainability, claims FRA.

Seattle, United States, May 3, 2012 -- Forestry investors are helping to boost sustainability, claims Forestry Research Associates (FRA).

FRA, along with a host of other experts, are claiming that the increased interest in alternative investments, and particularly ethical investments, is helping to boost the importance of sustainability around the globe.

A recent article in the Financial Times also highlighted how investment in sustainable real estate is also helping to boost the demand for green buildings, with more and more investors realising the benefit of putting their cash towards an ethical project.

There’s no doubt that green investments are proving more popular these days, explained FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins. He added, “Investors are largely disillusioned with the state of economy and the fact that the banks held all the power for so long.”

FRA claims that the tide is changing and that investors are increasingly looking at ways to contribute to a more sustainable way of living and investing.

Forestry investment is one of the areas that has attracted a huge amount of attention in recent years. Investing in sustainable timber plantations offers a lower-risk option for investors who are keen to make an impact with their cash. “Investing in timber is less risky as you don't have to harvest and sell your timber when your trees reach maturity – you can always hang onto them and watch them continue to grow until the price is right,” explained Collins.

This, teamed with the fact that timber demand is soaring in emerging markets such as India, China and Brazil, means that prices are set to rise in the coming years. “Investing in timber grown in Canada or Brazil through firms like Greenwood Management offers a uniquely profitable and ethical choice that will help investors get a taste of green investments for as little as around $15,000,” concluded Mr Collins.

About Forestry Research Associates

Forestry Research Associates is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.

Media Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394

FRA supports Re-Emergence of Finnish Forestry

The Finnish forestry industry is on the up once more, according to FRA, whose outlook is backed by a new study.

Seattle, United States, May 3, 2012 -- The Finnish forestry industry is on the up once more, according to Forestry Research Associates (FRA), whose outlook is backed by a new study.

FRA is a research and analysis consultancy, specialising in forestry and timberland investments. It claims that, after a period of downturn, the forestry industry in Finland is ripe for investment once more.

FRA’s view on the state of the industry in the Scandinavian country reflects the general outlook within Finland itself, according to a research report commissioned the Finnish Forest Association. The report found that the general confidence in the industry is returning after a tough few years.

Some 76 per cent of those questioned said they felt confident in Finland’s forestry industry’s international competitiveness. This was up from just 61 per cent who said the same back in 2007.

There was also a discovery that three quarters of the people questioned agreed that forestry by-products should be increasingly used in biomass power stations to generate energy.

FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins, said, “We very much welcome the news that the outlook among Finland’s forestry industry is more positive than it has been in recent years.

We hope that this signifies the start of a new period of prosperity for the industry and that investors will be drawn to the asset class as an alternative to stocks and shares.”

FRA supports investment in forestry as an asset class and claims that it has regularly outperformed equities over the past ten years or so. Collins added, “With the increasingly volatile nature of traditional investments, it’s no wonder that wise investors are looking for new places to invest their cash."

FRA supports timber investments through sustainable plantations that provide the chance for investors to buy up areas of forest and support the forestry industry and the communities that rely on it.

About Forestry Research Associates

Forestry Research Associates is a research and advisory consultancy that focuses on forestry management, sustainability issues and forestry investment around the globe.

Media Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394

Two Years After the Flash Crash, High Frequency Firms on the Move: The Speed Traders Workshop 2012 Warsaw

Edgar Perez, Presenting The Speed Traders Workshop 2012 Warsaw, Poland, "How Algorithmic and High Frequency Traders Leverage Profitable Strategies to Find Alpha in Equities, Options, Futures and FX", May 11, 2012.

(May 3, 2012, New York) -- It was reported by Reuters that increased scrutiny by U.S. regulators and politicians of high-frequency traders is creating an incentive for them to move to less regulated markets inside and outside the United States, Duncan Niederauer, chief executive of NYSE Euronext. High-frequency trading had come under increased scrutiny since the May 6, 2010 "flash crash," when the Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 800 points in minutes, before rebounding. Some critics said high frequency trading exacerbated the speed and severity of the fall.

Niederauer said that another result of the increased scrutiny in the United States was that high-frequency firms were accelerating shifts to non-U.S. markets. "I don't think the high frequency guys have left the U.S. market entirely, but I do think that they have shifted some of their volume to the less regulated market, which you have to say is a rational decision on their part."

This rational decision by high frequency traders to move to other markets includes Poland. That’s why Edgar Perez is bringing The Speed Traders Workshop 2012 Warsaw, "How Algorithmic and High Frequency Traders Leverage Profitable Strategies to Find Alpha in Equities, Options, Futures and FX" (http://www.TheSpeedTradersWorkshop.com) on May 11 to the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Perez is widely regarded as the preeminent expert in the specialized area of high-frequency trading; he is the author of The Speed Traders, An Insider’s Look at the New High-Frequency Trading Phenomenon That is Transforming the Investing World (http://www.TheSpeedTraders.com), published by McGraw-Hill Inc. (2011).

The Speed Traders Workshop 2012 Warsaw reveals how high-frequency trading players are succeeding in the global markets and driving the development of algorithmic trading at breakneck speeds from the U.S. and Europe to India, Singapore and Brazil.

Perez has been featured on CNBC Cash Flow (with Oriel Morrison), CNBC Squawk Box (with Geoff Cutmore), BNN Business Day (with Kim Parlee), TheStreet.com (with Gregg Greenberg), Channel NewsAsia Business Tonight and Cents & Sensibilities (with Lin Xue Ling), NHK World, iMoney Hong Kong, Hedge Fund Brief, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dallas Morning News, Valor Econômico, The Korea Herald,  FIXGlobal Trading, The Korea Times, TODAY Online, Oriental Daily News and Business Times.

Perez has been engaged to present to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, CFA Singapore, Hong Kong Securities Institute, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University and Pace University, among other public and private institutions. In addition, Perez has spoken at a number of global conferences, including Harvard Business School’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Conference (Boston), High-Frequency Trading Leaders Forum (New York, Chicago, London), MIT Sloan Investment Management Conference (Cambridge), Institutional Investor’s Global Growth Markets Forum (London), Technical Analysis Society (Singapore), TradeTech Asia (Singapore), FIXGlobal Face2Face (Seoul) and Private Equity Convention Russia, CIS & Eurasia (London).

Perez was a vice president at Citigroup, a senior consultant at IBM, and a consultant at McKinsey & Co. in New York City. Perez has an undergraduate degree from Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Lima, Peru (1994), a Master of Administration from Universidad ESAN, Lima, Peru (1997) and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School, New York, with a dual major in Finance and Management (2002). He belongs to the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. Perez resides in the New York City area and is an accomplished salsa and hustle dancer.

Contact:
Julia Petrova
Media Relations Coordinator
The Speed Traders
516-761-4712