Finance Corporate Profile

Investa: The Financial Solutions Specialist

Investa in context
Originally founded in 1999 in Beirut as a financial brokerage, Investa has now matured into a fully fledged financial institution licensed by the Lebanese Central Bank. This license, apart from our distinguished performance record, represents a trademark of trust, an official recognition of product quality, and a guarantee for consumer protection.

Investa was founded in response to the market need for highly diversified products for international companies in Lebanon. Investa’s permanent team, prior to establishing the company in Beirut, had worked offshore in the same field, acquiring global experience and forming a wide network of associates. Initially established as a financial brokerage whose main focus was financial planning, Investa over the years has upgraded and expanded its activities to add value to its services.

Your investment, your way
As a growing company with in-depth experience in the market, we understand the value of independent financial advice. The financial solutions we offer are flexible, client-centered, and customized, responding to the particular needs of individual and corporate clients. All investors, whether independent or representing major firms, receive the same personal attention and comprehensive consideration of all factors involved.

We also understand companies’ commitment to their brands and reputations as we understand our own. We are product advisors, not product pushers, and tailor the available options to your needs; the advice we offer is objective and unbiased. Placing your investment welfare above all else, providing the highest quality investment advice, and constantly learning our craft and honing our skills are the ethical and operational principles that guide our growth.

A one-stop shop for financial operations
A one-stop-shop for financial services, Investa is unique in Lebanon and the Middle East. No other local or Arab World company can claim to offer, under one roof, the comprehensive range of products and services that we do: Foreign Exchange and stock trading; financial planning with a wide selection of savings plans for all life stages and capital investment plans (from lump-sum investment to investments regulated by Islamic law); and finally, portfolio management led by secure investment strategies and a balanced asset allocation model.

Investa also benefits from its strategic alliances with international companies and independent well-known boutique firms in the UK, through which it has an established presence in London. These partners guide and support us with the information we need, as financial advisors, to keep pace with the latest trends and to offer competitive services and state-of-the-art digital products.

A financial partner you can trust
Investa’s portfolio, combined with the premium financial consultancy and planning services that its top-notch team is capable of providing, makes Investa a shoulder to rely on in order to achieve your personal goals and make the most of your money.

We at Investa hope to be farmers, not hunters. We are interested in sowing the seeds for long-term relationships, rather than opting for easy hit-and-run tactics. The proper advice that helps customers reap their projected investment returns: this is what secures our reputation. Just as investors need lawyers and auditors they can count on, when it comes to financial planning, we aspire to be investors’ trusted financial doctors, healing problems as they emerge.

What we can offer you
Investa offers a comprehensive selection of financial services in three key business areas:
Online Trading, Financial Planning, and Portfolio Management. Following is a profile of each.

Cutting-edge investment, hedging and speculation facilities
Investa offers a full range of client execution trading facilities to private and corporate clients. Whatever the reason for trading, whether it’s converting a business cash flow, hedging a future transaction, balancing an investment portfolio, or making a specific investment decision or for speculation, Investa offers clients a wide range of options to help them achieve their goals. In trading as in its other services, Investa is committed to the core values of client focus and innovation. We only execute transactions through international reputable financial institutions in order to ensure an online trading experience that is more reliable and informed than ever.

When a client executes a trade, details are immediately processed electronically through to the settlements office. With real time settlements, client accounts are automatically updated, with all margin calls and trading capabilities calculated and displayed automatically. This straight-through processing allows Investa to pass the associated cost saving directly back to our clients in the form of competitive spreads. By automating all trading through leading platforms via the Internet, Investa can offer its clients the narrowest spreads. Round the clock, Investa’s dealing room offers clients up-to-date economic news, analysts’ views and the latest fluctuations in the markets. We stress on educating new traders and on offering heavy traders the heavy support they need.

Mini FX
Mini FX Account allows the small investor to participate in the foreign exchange market and still receive the same professional executions and services as institutional Accounts. Through its partnership with leading brokerage firms, Investa provides instant pricing on a 24-hour basis on the major currency pairs.

Spot
Investa is a leading execution agent in the foreign exchange market. As a major liquidity hub for global foreign exchange, we can offer clients tight, competitive spreads across all currencies irrespective of order size.

Futures
Investa deals on all major futures markets around the world, providing clients with seamless execution and processing of transactions in interest rate, currency, equity indices and commodity contracts. The firm is also at the forefront of developments in settlement functionality through its integrated processing solution J-Trader.

Contracts For Difference (CFD’s)
Investa, through its collaboration with leading brokerage houses around the world, offers clients the ability to trade CFD’s on UK, US and European equities. A CFD gives you the benefits of trading shares without having to actually buy or own the stock. A CFD simply mirrors the movement of a particular stock or an index. With Investa, you can trade on margin in shares and global indices using a CFD, which essentially means you can trade without having to deposit the full contract value.

Equities
Investa provides access to the Lebanese stock market and to all the major stock markets around the world. Investa is aiming for a seat on the fast-growing Lebanese stock market and will continue expanding in order to access new emerging markets.

Base & Precious Metals
The Investa product range includes base and precious metal trading and continues to expand to satisfy the changing world markets in the global Metal Industry; Investa aims serve all the needs of the professional trader or investor with all their hedging, investing or speculative requirements.

Options
Investa is a leading provider of structured foreign exchange solutions to individual and corporate clients. Combining its foreign exchange operations with its expertise in OTC derivatives, its foreign exchange options partnership is highly regarded. Our options desk is fully integrated with all parts of our foreign exchange operations, giving clients 24-hour access to a world of speculative and hedging opportunities.

Risk Disclosure
Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to invest in foreign exchange, you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading, and seek advice from an independent advisor if you have any doubts.

Sound financial advice that really listens
Investa’s Financial Planning services provide sound financial advice that really listens to your individual needs. We discuss your fact file in-depth in order to assess your risk profile and to determine how your saving capacity can satisfy your needs over a set time horizon. Unlike your typical insurance company, we offer you real financial planning by tailoring our products to your needs. The insurance products we offer address the broad spectrum of today’s concerns from capital investments, retirement and education, savings plans, to corporate pension schemes. Interested in forging long-term relationships with clients, we seek to earn and maintain customer loyalty – not commissions.

Investa’s know-how, product range, and investment principles, combined with its extensive local market knowledge, enable it to provide comprehensive financial advisory and capital-raising services to corporations and financial institutions. We are specialized in supporting banks and other institutions in developing and promoting their financial products, including Shar’ia-compliant products (products that yield investment within the dictates of Islamic law).

1. Capital Investments
We offer structured investment portfolios for individuals and corporations interested in making lump sum investments which can be designed to provide growth, income or a combination of both. A balance between growth and security can be achieved with built-in flexibility for immediate access if required.

2. Retirement planning
Making provision for income in retirement is of paramount importance. It is surprising how many people overlook this fundamental future security requirement. Investa offers individual and corporate offshore retirement scheme options. As part of these policies, Investa can include a number of convenient options such as early or phased retirement.

3. School Fees
Most parents have to start planning for their children’s education whilst their children are still in their infancy. By gaining professional advice in time, parents will be able to accumulate sufficient capital to cover the cost of education. Investa offers flexible and straightforward ways to make provisions for your children’s or grandchildren’s future.

4. Regular saving plans
Most of us tend to spend up to and above our earnings and would like to have the discipline to start putting money aside each month. Saving and investing on a regular basis is one of the best ways to build up future wealth. Medium to long-term plans can be arranged and are available in major currencies. We will advise you on the suitability of a particular savings plan to meet your financial needs.

5. Corporate Pension Scheme
Companies’ most valued assets are their employees, and the provision of benefits on a collective basis provides a highly cost-effective way of retaining and rewarding key personnel. Good benefits help to promote good performance and motivate staff to achieve company goals. If you want your company to achieve the goals, consider the benefits an executive pension scheme can provide.

Our Portfolio Management – an asset to your assets
Proper management of your investment portfolio is one of the keys to financial success.
Investa’s Portfolio Management services are an asset to a client’s existing assets thanks to Investa’s client-centered approach and secure investment strategies. Investa has the human and digital resources to handle and advise on all basic financial disciplines from asset management, debt and credit management, and risk management to tax and legal considerations. Investa’s full portfolio management service enables clients to focus on other priorities with the knowledge that their assets are being well managed.

The Investa Relationship Manager, with whom the client partners, offers access to the resources of an asset management firm through one exclusive relationship. We see investing as a great deal more than picking stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. You and your Relationship Manager work together to formulate a secure investment strategy to help you build, protect, and develop your portfolio. We take the patience to educate the client, to explore your experience, your investment perspective, and your expectations. Unless we understand your expectations, how can we be expected to meet them? Your strategy will take into consideration such factors as your asset allocation, diversification, risk tolerance, liquidity needs, and your time horizons.

Asset Allocation
Asset allocation is the cornerstone of any long-term investment strategy. Your asset allocation model – the recommended portfolio balance between stocks, bonds and cash – depends on your individual investor profile; i.e., your goals, time horizon and risk tolerance. Whatever your asset allocation model, the strategy is based on the principle that not all investments behave in the same way at the same time because not all financial markets, industries, or companies behave the same way at the same time.

Diversification
Any strategy involving the purchasing of stocks should be built around diversification. A diversified strategy helps manage volatility, as sectors and industries react differently to market events.

Risk Tolerance
The degree of risk in your portfolio varies with both the type of stock you own and your time horizon. That’s why it is critical to be clear about your financial objectives. For instance, small capitalization and emerging growth stocks are typically more volatile than blue chip and high yielding stocks, and extreme volatility can mean extreme risk, at least for the short term. However, with an investment time horizon stretching far into the future – that is with a long-term growth objective – the element of risk may be migrated.

Investa Careers 
Investa is an equal opportunity institution with top-caliber back office and front office teams. Our staff is trained to meet clients on equal terms and to offer products in direct response to a client’s real need. Their personal attention, integrity, and professionalism ensure that the advice they give is well-informed and unbiased.  We try to recruit the best when it comes to the services we promote: career-oriented staff with personality and a thorough understanding of the business. To achieve and maintain client satisfaction, it is our responsibility to respond to and even anticipate client needs. Our team is motivated not only to practice, but also to set, the highest of standards.