Retail Bond Expert

Former darling of the high street, Marks & Spencer, has announced that it will issue its first 'junk' bond after credit ratings agencies downgraded its debt from investment grade to junk status.

Thousands of investors in bonds issued by the firm run by Graham Wellesley, the 8th Earl Cowley stand to lose all of their money unless they agree to a rescue deal

The Covid pandemic has dealt a savage blow to those relying on the income from their investments; savings rates were already painfully low before the virus struck following the enduring low interest economy – and that got even worse when two emergency interest rate cuts took rates down to 0.1%.

Investing Basics: If you are new to investing or not yet confident in picking your own investments, then the idea of investing in a fund probably seems a step too far.

Retirement planning can be daunting, whatever age you are, and it’s not just working out what you’re going to do with all of that newfound free time that’s an issue

Wasps Finance PLC, the issuer of the Wasps 6.5% May 2022  retail bond issued a trading statement on 2nd July

£36m at risk as mini-bond issuer follows payday lender into administration

Harry Potter Castle Garden Seeks to Raise Funds for Future Expansion with ORB Listed Bond

There are rumours that the budget will announce a new exchange for retail bonds; Mr Bond is sceptical

Chancellor has previously advocated an AIM-style exchange for SME retail bonds

Legal action has been started to challenge the decision that just a fraction of the 11,600 bondholders should be compensated

Retail Bond Expert’s Mr Bond looks at the factors that suggest we may have been in recession since the Global Financial Crisis and the contrasting fortunes of two recent retail bond issues trying to lure income investors on ORB

More and more are taking control in pursuit of financial independence; here is an introduction to income investing

Despite its own ban on advertising mini-bonds after the London Capital & Finance debacle, FCA calls for government to intervene

Nerves for savers who ploughed £94 million into savings bond company founded by Graham Wellesley, as auditors suggest company may be in jeopardy

Property group offers bond holders exchange on 6% bonds due 2020 with 1.25% cash fee

Investing in retirement: Many people focus on investing to reach retirement, but what about once you are retired?

Financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority has banned the mass marketing of mini-bonds to retail investors, saying peer-to-peer lending could be a better alternative.

FSCS says that just 159 out of 11,600 bondholders will definitely receive compensation after LCF scandal

Company proposes to convert 8% mini-bonds into preferred equity in CVA

Property guru and long-time presenter of Channel 4’s Grand Designs, Kevin McCloud issued bonds between 2013 and 2017 to fund his company, HAB, but now looks set to hand investors huge losses.

Just over two-years ago Mr Bond wrote the article ‘The Bond That Came in From the Cold’, in it Mr Bond asked, ‘is there a third-way’?

Specialist real estate development finance provider Urban Exposure Plc has announced the launch of a 6.5% secured sterling retail bond, expiring in 2026.

Bond loses half of its value raising concerns that ORB may experience its first default

We've been expecting you: Mr Bond says FCA simply cannot allow retail clients to buy unregulated investments

Treasury announces a full enquiry into doomed mini-bond issuer, and also a wider policy review

MPs call for FCA chief to quit as investors sweat on potential loss of £236m

Provider of home credit and digital lender International Personal Finance (IPF) is offering DIY investors a rare opportunity with a new retail bond offering an eye-catching coupon of 7.75% p.a.

FCA urges investors to sign up with lifeboat fund as SFO investigates

Specialist mortgage lender has revealed that the portfolios that underpin its retail bonds have fallen in value

Issuer of 6.5% retail bond due 2022 investigated after it breached financial covenants

The Bonds that still have not come in from the cold; why investors keep getting the flu

Traditionally the role of fixed income within a portfolio was to protect investors from the volatility of equities and provide income to protect against inflationary pressures

The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement is the latest to sweep through personal finance

Gold has been a valuable commodity for thousands of years, here's now DIY investors can access it

Saltydog Investor to revisit 'Tugboat' portfolio as 'slow ahead' loses momentum

Why Buy and Hold is the right strategy for long-term investors planning for retirement

Individual Savings Accounts – ISAs – allow UK taxpayers to save or invest up to £20,000 (tax year 2018-9) without paying tax on any interest they receive.

The Serious Fraud Office, working in conjunction with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has now opened an investigation into individuals associated with London Capital & Finance

Do you need your portfolio to generate cash? Is paying your bills and having enough income to live on more important than growing richer? If so, you need to focus on income investing.

Core and satellite investing is a method of portfolio construction designed to minimise costs and volatility while providing an opportunity to outperform a broad stock market or portfolio of markets as a whole

Cash ISAs are beaten by inflation, Stocks and Shares ISAs are vulnerable to market volatility - where are there better returns to be found?

In one of the biggest collapses of its kind in the UK, more than 15,000 vulnerable members of the public are at risk of losing their investment after high risk bond issuer London Capital & Finance, today collapsed into administration

Chief Investment Officer James Robson explains how RM Funds use lower risk real estate, infrastructure & alternative lending investments to generate steady income, protect capital and offer modest capital growth

Heylo Housing Group has issued a retail bond offering 1.625% due 2028 with both the coupon and redemption value rising in line with RPI

Dartington Hall Trust, a charitable organisation located on a medieval Devon estate, has launched a retail bond issue to raise up to £20 million to help it upgrade and develop its estate.

Investment trust issues bond to attract investors seeking income.

Investors that had been staring down the barrel of a £7.5m loss look set to be compensated after the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) upheld two complaints against Independent Portfolio Managers (IPM)

Eighth Retail Charity Bond offers income for investors with an ethical focus

Holders of Wasps’ 6.5% retail bond due 2022 could be excused the odd nervous glance at their screens today (May 3rd) as its bid price in the secondary market on the Order Book for Retail Bonds fell to a low of 85.5p from its previous level of 102p

….And you thought that we were faking, that we were all just money making…..’

Investors seeking income will be pleased to learn that peer to peer lender LendInvest has announced the launch of its second secured retail bond on the LSE’s Order Book for Retail Bonds

Yesterday afternoon EROS International, the leading Indian language film producer and distributor, announced a significant partnership with US$90bn Reliance Industries (RIL), one of India’s biggest companies.

Specialist mortgage lender BlueZest has today announced the proposed issue of sterling-denominated 5.25% fixed rate secured bonds due 2022

MP Rishi Sunak has made the case for a new exchange for retail bonds to improve access to credit for SMEs and encourage retail investors

Division of Mencap that specialises in renting accommodation to people with learning disabilities launches second Retail Charity Bond

Specialist mortgage lender launches roadshow to gauge appetite from fixed income investors ahead of potential launch

Hightown, the Hertfordshire-based landlord, which currently owns 5,300 properties, is offering a fixed term investment via the Retail Charity Bond platform

New platform allows retail investors to invest in corporate bonds and choose their return and duration

Select Property Group has today announced the offer of sterling-denominated retail bonds offering 6% p.a. due 2023

Vanguard, the world’s second-largest asset manager, has continued to target the UK market by announcing the launch of an actively managed bond fund

Mortgage lender LendInvest is looking to raise £50 million by issuing a five-year retail bond offering 5.25%

Retail Charity Bonds PLC today announced the launch of The Dolphin Square Charitable Foundation Retail Charity Bond offering 4.25% due 6th July 2026.

Lead manager Peel Hunt pulled stumps early on its most recent retail bond issue as Burford Capital raced to £175 million in just one week.

Burford Capital, a company that provides litigation finance and in which rock star fund manager Neil Woodford holds a 10% stake has launched a retail bond offering investors a coupon of 5% over nine and a half years

Chief exec David Armstrong to step down as Wasps seem likely to refinance its retail bond

Retail Bond Expert’s Mr Bond considers whether there’s a ‘third way’ in the ongoing quest for income

Retail Charity Bonds plc has announced that award winning care home provider Greensleeves Care has closed the books on its retail bond fully ten days before its planned deadline of 12 noon on 24th March.

Award winning care home provider offers investment opportunity to investors starved of retail bonds

Following nine months of negotiation, North Sea oil explorer, Premier Oil, has agreed the terms of its long-awaited debt refinancing

Pre-Christmas cheer for income seekers with only the fourth issue on ORB in 2016

Premier Oil seems set to secure the biggest debt refinancing deal in the North Sea

£3.3bn bond buyback declared legal depriving retail investors of up to 16% interest

The North Sea oil operator has breached a covenant of its retail bond and raised the coupon on its 2022 bond from 5.5% to 7.0%

Harlequins seeks to raise £7.5 million to fund future development with 5 year mini-bond

Burford Capital, a company that provides litigation finance and in which rock star fund manager Neil Woodford holds a 10% stake has launched a retail bond offering investors a coupon of 6.125% over eight years

Retail Charity Bonds PLC announces the early closure of the Charities Aid Foundation Retail Charity Bond offering 5% due 2026

Early Closure of Offer Period for Alpha Plus Holdings Plc 5% secured retail bond due 2024

Retail Charity Bonds PLC today announces the launch of the Charities Aid Foundation Retail Charity Bond offering 5% due 2026

Nine year retail bond gives investors the opportunity to benefit from the growth in the UK's buy-to-let sector

Some hours ahead of the planned deadline of 5pm on 6th May, Wasps announced that the offer period of its retail bond was closed having achieved its target of £35m target in just ten days.

Wasps today became the first sports business to launch a retail bond

Worth a Try? Wasps Set to Launch £30 million Bond.

Hightown Praetorian & Churches Housing Association (Hightown) has launched a Retail Charity Bond, offering small investors a ‘unique opportunity’ to invest in charitable activities in their local community.

Spring appears to have sprung

New issue receives mixed response

Mencap's Property Arm Offers a Seven Year Bond at 4.4% p.a

8 year retail bond shows strong support

At a well-attended event at the London Stock Exchange to mark the fourth anniversary of the launch of its Order Book for Retail Bonds, participants from all sectors of the market came together to celebrate its success to date and look forward to its prospects for the future.

Retail Bond Expert highlights the need for standardised definitions in the lead up to ORB celebrations

Positive response from investors prompts early closure

Paragon issues the first retail bond of the New Year

Consultation could lead to relaxing of rules around time to maturity as Treasury plots ISA rule change

LSE plans to introduce a broader fixed-income trading service

Relief at Co-op Bank as 99.9% of bondholders vote to approve recapitalisation plan.

FTSE 250 oil exploration firm latest to launch on ORB

Oil company issues ‘top up’ on the retail bond launched earlier in the year.

International Personal Finance launches second tranche of its BB+ rated, seven year retail bond.

Mr Bond looks at the appetite for private share ownership and investing for income

Housing Association bond attracts investors

9 yr retail bond breaks period of inactivity

Enraged bond holders call for an alternative strategy to fill the hole in Co-op Bank balance sheet, but intransigent borrower insists there is no alternative.

construction firm fails to attract enough investors

Family owned property group looks to raise £70m

Retail Bond raises £80m a week early

Property Development and Investment Company raise the bar

Nuffield Health follows in the footsteps of the Jockey Club with new 'mini bond'

Numis Securities paint positive picture at conference at LSE

Britain's second biggest spectator sport looks to the consumer to raise money with its loyalty bond

Early closure of IPF offer shows strength of UK retail bond market with £70m raised

International home credit service company enters the retail bond market

The launch marks an important new development for the retail bond market

Early closure signifies strong demand

City Profile has been appointed as the corporate communications adviser to ORBIG, (Order Book for Retail Bond Issuer Group

Hot on the heels of the success of the £145m issue by North Sea oil company EnQuest, Paragon, Britain's largest specialist buy-to-let mortgage lender is the latest company to offer a bond directly to investors...

Retail Bond Expert is proud to have taken part in celebrations at the London Stock Exchange to mark the third anniversary of the Orderbook for Retail Bonds (ORB).

North Sea oil operator EnQuest revealed that it raised £145m from issuing a 10-year bond

A new FTSE ORB Index Series has launched. These new retail bond indices measure the performance of bonds listed on ORB, Order book for Retail Bonds, the LSE’s retail orientated trading platform

Since the Summer of 2012, the London Stock Exchange’s platform for retail bond issuance has witnessed rapid growth

Independent North Sea oil producer EnQuest has launched a long-dated unrated 5.5% retail bond, due in 2022.

Tullett Prebon, the world’s second largest inter-broker dealer, has confirmed that the 5.25% retail bond announced on Retail Bond Expert on 22nd November will now close early at 1.00 p.m on Wednesday 5th December.

Alpha Plus Holdings plc, which owns and operates independent schools, colleges and nurseries throughout the UK, has launched a 5.75% sterling bond due 2019 secured against certain real estate and other assets of the Group

Retail Bond Expert has learned this afternoon that Stobart Group has shelved its plans to enter the retail bond market by canceling the proposed launch of the 5.5% per annum fixed rate six year sterling bond announced on 13th November.

Tullett Prebon, the world’s second largest inter-broker dealer has today announced the issue of a retail bond on ORB.

Retail Bond Expert has learned that Carlisle-based transport and logistics company Stobart Group has achieved its relatively modest target of £25m with its six year 5.5% retail bond, and will close the offer tomorrow, November 23rd. <br/><br/>

As predicted by Retail Bond Expert on 17th November Unite Group has become the latest property company to seek to diversify its funding structure by launching a retail bond on ORB.

As reported by Retail Bond Expert on November 7th, UK haulage business Stobart Group has confirmed that it will be launching a retail bond on the LSE’s Order Book for Retail Bonds (ORB).

Following what is understood to have been a successful roadshow assessing the appetite of retail stockbrokers and wealth managers, Stobart Group, the FTSE 250 logistics company is believed to be about to issue a sterling-denominated retail bond.

With bank lending remaining scarce, the recent trend towards companies raising finance from their customers by issuing retail bonds has continued apace such that total issuance is set to exceed £1bn 2012.

The offer period for Birmingham-based developer St Modwen's first retail bond closed on 31st October with £80m to be issued.

63 per cent of UK private investors feel optimistic about the UK economy over the next 12 months, up from 47 per cent one year ago, according to a survey of over 1,000 investors by London Stock Exchange and research firm ONVA.

The London Stock Exchange Group plc (LSE) has today announced that the offer period for its 9 year sterling denominated 4.75% bond, which began on 16 October has now expired. The final offer size of £300 million will make this the largest corporate bond to be issued through LSE’s Order book for Retail Bonds (ORB) to date. The issue will bring the total amount raised on ORB, since the market was established two years ago, to over £2.5 billion.

As further proof of the burgeoning popularity of retail bonds the London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) offer with a coupon of less than 5 per cent has closed early due to popularity.

St Modwen (SMP) has become the latest property company to launch a retail bond, allowing it to raise finance directly from small private investors too risk-averse to consider its shares. The proposed bond comes with a coupon of 6.25 per cent - the highest yet in the sector.

The FTSE 100 closed 53 points, or 0.9% higher at 5,829 after the latest batch of US job figures indicated a sustained recovery in the country’s employment levels.