Aegon warns red tape is blocking pension investment spree July 16, 2026 Aegon has warned that regulation is holding back some of Britain’s top pension fund managers from pumping cash into the country’s start-ups and unlisted companies. The pension giant, which manages £160bn of assets in the UK alone, was one of 11 companies alongside Aviva and Legal & General to commit to investing five per cent [...]
Pension funds pledged a private investment splurge. Three years on, has anything changed? July 15, 2026 When 11 of the UK’s largest pension providers signed a deal to pump billions into unlisted companies in July 2023, the mood at Mansion House in the City was celebratory. Then Chancellor Jeremy Hunt hailed the signing a “great personal triumph” for then Lord Mayor, Sir Nicholas Lyons. If the remainder of the UK defined [...]
Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East boost Cohort’s order book July 15, 2026 The rise in global conflicts boosted Cohort’s order book as NATO nations continue to hike their defence spending. The defence technology group recorded a 13 per cent rise in revenue over the financial year to £306.4m, up from £270m. The jump reflected its surging order intake, which jumped 10 per cent to £314.2m. Its order [...]
Schroders sells financial planning arm as it accelerates high net-worth shift July 6, 2026 Schroders has agreed to sell its advice business Benchmark Capital to Swedish wealth firm Soderberg & Partners as it accelerates a shift toward wealth management and high net-worth clients. Under the terms of the deal, Schroders will become a long-term asset manager to Soderberg & Partners and exit direct ownership of the financial planning business. [...]
‘Nearing a turning point’: Reinsurers set to pay out as climate disasters loom June 29, 2026 The insurance industry is bracing for severe losses in the next financial year as global natural disasters trigger higher claims from consumers. Morningstar analysts predict reinsurance earnings to peak over the course of 2026, arguing that the industry is currently at the bottom of a low-loss weather cycle, meaning it is seeing the end of [...]
Streeting tax policies could cost the Treasury nearly £8bn June 29, 2026 Adopting Wes Streeting’s plans to hike capital gains tax could cost the Treasury billions of pounds and lead to a reduction in retail investment, new analysis suggests. Last month, Streeting, who is reportedly in the running to succeed Rachel Reeves as Chancellor should Andy Burnham enter No 10, proposed that capital gains tax (CGT) should [...]
FCA looks to check power of investment trust boards after Saba uproar June 26, 2026 The City watchdog is looking to restrict the power of some investment trust board members after criticism of its response to Saba Capital’s campaign against a group of UK funds. The Financial Conduct Authority has proposed a series of amendments to the UK listing rules for close-ended investment funds, better known as investment trusts, in [...]
Ares Management flagship private credit fund slammed with withdrawal requests June 25, 2026 Ares Management was plagued by investors attempting to pull out over $1.5bn from one its flagship private credit funds in the second financial quarter, as wealthy individuals continue to flee the asset class. The firm’s Ares Strategic Income fund, which holds roughly $11bn (£8.3bn), said it has received redemption requests worth 14.4 per cent of [...]
AllianzGI chief executive warns of AI ‘socialism’ as investors lean on chatbots June 18, 2026 The chief executive of one of Europe’s largest asset managers has urged investors to avoid being over-reliant on general online chatbots to manage their portfolios, as it increases the risk of losses. Speaking at AllianzGI’s media day in Frankfurt, Tobias Pross, chief executive of AllianzGI, warned that relying on public online models, such as Claude, [...]
Record number of central banks plan to increase gold holdings amid global volatility June 16, 2026 A record number of central banks are expected to increase their gold holdings over the next 12 months as global volatility continues to rock markets. Nearly 90 per cent of reserve managers anticipate central bank holdings to continue rising in the wake of the precious metal becoming the top reserve asset, overtaking US government treasuries, [...]