Qinetiq controversy cools - but should you buy in?

The flotation of defence firm Qinetiq has been “nothing if not controversial”. But the real question is whether Qinetiq shares will be a good investment or not.

The flotation of defence firm Qinetiq, currently owned by the government and US venture capital firm Carlyle Group, has been "nothing if not controversial", says Tom Stevenson in The Daily Telegraph, given the massive returns being made by Carlyle (which bought its 31% stake in 2002 for £42.2m and is expected to raise £213m from the float).

But for ordinary investors, who are now, after much fuss, being allowed to make applications for shares through retail brokerages, that is all "water under the bridge". The real question is whether Qinetiq shares will be a good investment or not.

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Charlie Gibson

Charles has previously written for the MoneyWeek, giving readers his share tips regularly and covering other topics on the side such as stock markets and the economy. He has also written for The Business, Shares, Investors Chronicle and The Evening Standard, and Charles has presented on LBC and been a guest on BBC One and BBC World. Aside from his journalist background, Charles graduated as a chemist from the University of Oxford specialising in ligand gated ion channels.