Yahoo Finance Sable coats and gold rings feature in Eartha Kitt’s ‘Santa Baby’ – but how much would this luxury wishlist cost today?
A sable fur coat, convertible car, and deeds to a platinum mine are some of the items listed on the Christmas list of the insatiably materialistic character in Eartha Kitt's tongue-in-cheek, festive hit Santa Baby.
Purchasing these luxury items today would set someone back around £3.2m, claims Wealth Manger Charles Stanley – and that’s excluding the £285m cost of a deed to a platinum mine.
A mink fur coat can be bought from Harrods for £4,500, while a ’54 convertible costs just shy of £19,000.
While the character in Santa Baby would no doubt relish in her expensive new gifts, would buying them today make for a winning investment portfolio?
According to John Redwood, Charles Stanley’s chief global strategist, an investment portfolio like this is only for the brave. “Call me a dull investment analyst if you like, criticise me as too safe an asset allocator, but it’s the rules we have to follow. We mustn’t concentrate all the bets on luxury and precious metals. Say it goes wrong? Investment rules are there for a reason.”
So what exactly was on the Christmas wishlist, and should you invest in these items today?
Eartha Kitt's luxury Christmas wishlist
Decorations from Tiffany & Co
Tiffany & Co has been one of the world's premier jewellers and America's main house of design since 1837.
Shares from its parent company have certainly been sparkling of late – rising over the last year in a tough retail sector. Its first quarter numbers were ahead of Wall Street estimates, with high demand for cheaper fashion jewellery and high-end diamond pendants and rings.
On top of this, the luxury retailer is set to benefit from US President Donald Trump’s ambitious tax reforms, which could pass into law by the end of the week.
Deeds to a platinum mine
The platinum industry has experienced significant turmoil over the last few years; strikes in South Africa, where 80pc of the world’s platinum group metals are found, and oversupply in the market, have roiled the industry.
But all of this means that the deeds to a platinum mine have now become a bargain. Indeed, South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater recently agreed to buy platinum miner Lonmin for £285m.
Perhaps a platinum Tiffany ring, however, would be a more realistic purchase for those without the cash to splash.
Yacht
A yacht may be “not a lot” if you are the character in Eartha Kitt's song, or a Russian oligarch, but prices for these vessels are astronomical.
Roman Abramovich’s most-understated boat Eclipse, which has its own private defence system and 70-member crew, is said to have cost up to $1.2bn (£89m); and that doesn’t include the running costs.
A few shares in a company which specialises in the supply, painting and maintenance of yachts may be a more practical gift. However, if you can afford to buy a yacht, make sure you list it as available for charter – in Europe, charter yachts are exempt from property tax.
Gold rings
Gold rings are excellent gifts, but are they good investments? Scrooge would advocate a high allocation to gold, but for the optimists among us it should only be viewed as a form of anxiety insurance against extreme events, Charles Stanley said.
The gold investor is faced with a perennial dilemma: when gold rallies it’s often in a world of market turbulence where fear trumps greed and holders are reluctant to sell. When markets perform well, gold tends to fall and holders can be reluctant to sell at a loss.
With US interest rates set to rise over the next year, the outlook for the price of the precious metal is distinctly downbeat.
Convertible ’54
Financial market convertibles are a little less glamorous than the average Thunderbird Roadster. But convertible bonds offer convertibility at significantly lower cost.
These are bonds issued by a company which gives the buyer the ability to convert into that company’s equity at a predetermined price. In essence, if you are a fixed-income investor optimistic on equities then this might be the asset class for you.
If you want to actually get a convertible, it’s probably better to buy it through a fund such as the M&G Global Convertible Bond fund, currently priced at £14.42 per unit.
Duplex
A Duplex in central London would set you back on average £1.2m, but a property fund accessed via unit trusts or investment trusts are much more affordable options to invest in property markets.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, decent demand and strong yields should provide something of a backstop for UK property funds, even allowing for any property void periods and sluggish growth in rents.
F&C Commercial Property, for instance, yields 4.4pc with shares trading at a small premium to net asset value.
Cheques (cash)
Although often overlooked as an asset class, cash is important to hold. Overall, it lowers risk in a portfolio, and more active investors sometimes like to keep some cash aside ready for opportunities as they arise, perhaps when markets take a tumble.
It is also worth noting that in the event of deflation, where both the cost of living and asset prices fall, cash can represent a good investment.