Barclays Wealth celebrates maturity double

Barclays Wealth has completed a double maturity from its Defined Returns Plan range of investments delivering 20% and 30% over three years.
This double maturity is the latest in a series of maturities from the business which has seen all investors receive at least their capital back in every instance since 2008. The best performing product – the Accelerated Growth Plan (Issue A19) – matured in November 2010, returning 70% plus capital.
A recent study of Barclays Wealth products maturing during 2008 and 2010 shows 71% outperforming the FTSE Price Return Index and none enduring any loss to capital. Over the same time, the average tracker fund returned 44%; the average Balanced Managed Fund 50.5% on a bid-to-bid basis.
The most recent product to mature is the three-year Defined Returns Plan V8. Launched in December 2007, the product required the FTSE to be at or above its strike rate of 5879.3 to deliver its fixed return of 20%. When this occurred on 14 February, investors received the stated amount – an annualised return of 6.27%.
The Annual Kick-Out option of the same product offered 10% for each year it was held and has now matured, delivering 30% – an annualised return of 9.14%. Over the same period, the FTSE rose just 3%.
For full details of Barclays Wealth’s current product offering, please visit our dedicated website: http://www.barclayswealthstructuredinvestments.com.
Lisa Chaudhuri, vice president, Barclays Wealth, says: “These latest maturities demonstrate that despite ongoing criticism of certain sections of the market, there is still a place for quality structured products as part of a balanced investment portfolio.
“To receive at least 20% from a product in a time when the underlying Index only rose 3% is a fantastic return for investors, especially when coupled with the fact that the product offered full capital protection. Our Kick-Out included an extra element of risk, but this has arguably given commensurate reward to investors with a return of 30% over the period.”