While investors view the dividends paid on shares key to building a winning portfolio, many other rewards are also available.
A new assessment of the perks of share ownerships has identified a number eye-opening rewards of recent times that have sweetened the deal.
Not all are still available, however the details demonstrate that it is worth investigating just what, if any, perks are offered to private shareholders.
The research found options have ranged from the ‘nice to have’ such as free breakfasts and luxury chocolate to genuine savings with discounts on cars and cruises.
The details have been compiled by courier and transport exports Parcelhero, which offers substantial discounts on its services to investors.
Its Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks, said: “The main reason individuals and investment companies buy stocks or put money directly into companies is to make money through capital gains or dividends. However, a number of companies offer other inducements that certainly help gain attention.
“Indeed, a wealthy investor could wake up to a free hotel breakfast, climb into their hugely discounted new car, shop for significantly discounted new clothes and end their day by eating free luxury chocolates while reading a heavily discounted book or, perhaps, take off on a cruise with free onboard credit.”
Parcelhero compiled a round-up of some of the very best and most eye-opening investors’ incentives of recent times.
Importantly, not all are still available and not all the companies are listed on the UK stock market, but Mr Jinks said: “They give a good idea of the potential perks that await investors, angels and the more materialistic alike.”
Whitbread:
Whitbread no longer brews beer but, instead, owns a number of hospitality businesses, offering qualifying shareholders free breakfasts in Premier Inns. It also offered a 10 percent discount on its restaurants for people with a shareholder benefit card.
Ford:
In the US at least, qualifying shareholders could participate in Ford’s “Friends & Neighbors” Special Vehicle Pricing Privilege scheme.
New vehicles could be purchased for just 4 percent above employee pricing. Potentially, that was a deal worth thousands of dollars to its stockholders.
Next:
The fashion chain Next has offered its qualifying stockholders a 25 percent discount against one purchase once a year.
Lindt:
The luxury chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli AG gave a gift box to qualifying shareholders who voted during its annual meeting in Switzerland.
Bloomsbury:
The publishers behind the Harry Potter series offered its qualifying shareholders a 35 percent discount on its books.
Associated British Foods:
ABF delivered a mystery offer for qualifying ABF shareholders who attended its AGM. They received a free gift worth around £30.
Cruises:
Carnival Cruise Line, which owns companies such as Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean all kept their qualifying investors buoyant by offering onboard credit of between $50 and $250, depending on the length of their cruise.
Brewers:
A number of breweries – Fullers, Mitchells & Butlers, Shepherd Neame and Youngs – have all offered qualifying shareholders various discounts on drinks and food – and accommodation where applicable. Until the mid-1980s, Youngs also offered a free lunch with unlimited drinks to its shareholders.
Parcelhero:
The firm has an attractive investors’ rewards scheme for individuals and organisations backing its equity funding campaign on Floww, the respected fundraising and investment platform.
These range from 15 percent off its services for 12 months for investments of £2,500 to £24,999 through to 25 percent for investments of over £75,000.
