M&G profit crashes as retail investors pull funds August 12, 2020 M&G today posted a sharp fall in first-half profit after retail investors rushed to withdraw funds during the coronavirus crisis and it counted the costs of its demerger. The insurer and asset manager saw its adjusted pre-tax profit slump 59 per cent to £309m in the six months to the end of June, though this [...]
Coronavirus will increase investors’ appetite for sustainable strategies – and accelerate major changes in the way capital is allocated June 2, 2020 | City Talk The relative resilience of ESG strategies through the recent market rout could mark a watershed moment for sustainable investment. Fleeting trends are usually the first to be abandoned in the heart of the storm. This simply hasn’t happened with ESG strategies. In fact, quite the opposite, with many funds charting inflows through Q1 2020. Cynics [...]
Gresham House acquires Trade Risks amid strong 2019 performance March 5, 2020 Gresham House announced the acquisition of Trade Risks as it reported a double digit rise in its assets under management. The figures Gresham House reported a 23 per cent increase in assets under management from £2.3bn to £2.8bn. Total income rose 124 per cent from £14.7m to £32.9m, while adjusted operating profit rose 237 per [...]
Schroders profit falls as investors turn their back on equities March 5, 2020 Schroders posted a four per cent fall in profit before tax as market uncertainty prompted investors to ditch equities. The figures Schroders reported that profit before tax fell four per cent from £649.9m to £624.6m. The asset manager reported total net new business of £43.4bn, with positive net inflows across all asset classes as the [...]
FCA admits seven funds breached ‘trash ratio’ March 4, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has revealed the extent to which UK fund managers breached European rules designed to limit liquidity issues behind high-profile scandals. Regulators across Europe have scrutinised how closely fund managers adhere to Ucits fund rules that limit holdings in unquoted securities to 10 per cent of their portfolio. Responding to a [...]
FCA tells asset managers to gear up for the end of Libor February 27, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has written to asset managers to tell them to get ready for the end of Libor. Libor is being phased out after banks were fined billions for trying to manipulate it. The benchmark, used for pricing trillions of dollars of swaps, futures and loans, is set to end at the [...]
Interactive Investor to acquire The Share Centre for £62m February 17, 2020 Interactive Investor is to buy The Share Centre in a cash and shares deal worth around £61.9m, the companies announced this morning. The owner of The Share Centre’s stock surged as much as 17.24 per cent this morning following news of the offer. Announcing the deal, ii said retail investment platforms need scale to sustain [...]
Amundi’s assets under management hit €1.65 trillion February 12, 2020 Amundi’s assets under management (AUM) reached €1.65 trillion (£1.38 trillion) in 2019, with the French asset manager boosted by a record fourth quarter. Inflows hit a record £76.8bn during the fourth quarter, including £59.6bn received from a new pension fund mandate at Amundi’s Indian joint venture, it said. Net inflows for the entire year were [...]
UK active fund inflows nosedive on coronavirus fears February 11, 2020 Sales of active equity funds in the UK plunged over 90 per cent in January after the coronavirus outbreak led to a collapse in investor confidence. Inflows into actively-managed equity funds totalled just £78m in January, a drop of 93 per cent compared to the previous month, according to figures from fund network Calastone. “Stock [...]
Investment giant Legal & General to vote against combined chair and chief executive roles February 3, 2020 Legal & General’s investment arm will vote against combined chief executive and board chairman roles globally, taking on business giants including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Blackrock’s Larry Fink. Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), one of the largest investment companies in the world with over £1 trillion under management, announced the change as part of [...]