Scots Warm To Shares

SCOTS are warming to shares as an investment with the number of share clubs in Scotland rising from 69 to 203 in two years.

These latest figures from ProShare, the organisation promoting share ownership, show that more and more Scots are enjoying share clubs where friends, families and neighbours pool together some of their surplus cash to invest in the stock market.

MORI Scotland research published today shows that share ownership has a long way to go with only 12 per cent of Scots preferring shares as the best way of passing money onto their children. Half favoured buying a house, while 34 per cent preferred opening a building society or National Savings account.

The findings come as the London Stock Exchange launches its Share Aware Scotland campaign (3rd to 9th October) to raise awareness of the opportunities and benefits of stock market investment. The campaign shows that, over the majority of ten-year periods since 1945, shares have outperformed most other forms of savings including deposit accounts.

Shares also hold up well against housing as an investment. Over the last five years, the FTSE All-Share index has risen by 83.7 per cent. Over the same period, house prices in Scotland have risen by 12.5 per cent, according to the latest Halifax index.

The highlight of Share Aware Scotland is a two-day Share Fair at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh. Fifty seven Scottish and UK listed Companies, Stockbrokers and Information providers will come together under one roof to answer questions from the public on issues surrounding the stock market.

TV share guru Alvin Hall will host two sessions on how to get started on the stock market, and there will also be information on how to set up a share club.

Throughout the week, there is a full programme of events across Scotland; in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, Kinross, Inverness and Crieff.

The Share Aware Scotland hotline number for information on all the events is 020-7797 4444.

Organisations taking part in the Share Fair at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, 8th to 9th October are:

Companies: Abbots group, Aggreko, Alliance Trust Savings, Allied Zurich, Axis-Shield, Dobbies Garden Centres, First Group, Forth Ports, Gearhouse Group, Glenmorangie, HW Group, John Menzies, Murray Johnstone, Newton Investment Management, NMT Group, Meconic, PPL Therapeutics, Robert Wiseman Diaries, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Scottish & Newcastle, Scottish Investment Trust, Scottish Power, Semple Cochrane, Stagecoach Holdings, Villiers Group, Westbury, Wickes.

Stockbrokers: Barclays Stockbrokers, Bell Lawrie White, BWD Rensburg, Charles Schwab Europe, Direct Sharedeal, Dolmen Butler Briscoe, Goy Harris Cartwright, Halifax Share Dealing Ltd, Saga Investment Direct, Stocktrade-unions, Torrie and Co, YorkSHARE.

Information Providers: Bloomberg Money, Freequotes Co. UK Ltd, interactive investor international, Primark Market-Eye, The Motley Fool, Teleshare, Trackdata Corporation, Updata Software, Uk-Invest.com

Technical details

MORI interviewed 1,048 adults aged 18+ throughout Scotland. All interviews were conducted by telephone, between 14-19 September 1999. Data are weighted to reflect the profile of the population. The final question is asked of 1,017 adults because of the later addition of this question into the survey.

Q1 Which of the following do you think is the best way that people can use their money to ensure they are able to pass some money on to their children in the future?

Buying shares	12%
Saving in Building Societies	21%
National Savings Accounts	13%
Buying a house	50%
Regularly buying National Lottery tickets	1%
Don't know	3%

Q2 How often, if ever, do you use the internet these days, whether from home or work?

Every day	10%
At least once a week	10%
At least once a month	4%
Less often, but sometimes	3%
Never	73%

IF EVER USE THE INTERNET ASK Q3 (OTHERS GO TO Q4) Q3 Which of these kind of sites to you visit most often?

Entertainment	25%
Finance	11%
News	13%
Sport	16%
Other	35%

Q4 Do you ever buy and sell shares these days?

Yes	22%
No	78%

Q5 Suppose you were investing money in shares, would a company being Scottish make you more likely or less likely to invest in it, or would it make no difference?

More likely	20%
Less likely	1%
No difference	75%
Don't know/would not invest	4%

Q6 Were you aware that you can use the internet to get information about share prices, as well as buy and sell shares?

Yes, aware	69%
No, not aware	31%

Q7 Does the fact that you can buy and sell shares over the internet make it more likely that you will trade-unions in shares in the future, or does it make no difference to you?

More likely	9%
Makes no difference	87%
Don't know	4%

Q8 How likely or unlikely are you to use the internet to buy or sell shares over the next 12 months?

Certain to	-%
Quite likely to	3%
Not very likely to	26%
Certain not to	69%
Don't know	2%

Q9 I am going to read out a short list, and I would like you to tell me whether each would make you more likely to use the internet to buy or sell shares, assuming you had access to the web?