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Henry Brennan Editorial, Fundweb.co.uk

Henry Brennan is a staff writer on Fundweb and a contributing writer to Fund Strategy.

Stories by this author.

Investec AUM reaches record high

17 May 2012

Investec Asset Management has reported its assets under management (AUM) have reached a record high of £61.5 billion.
US dividend-paying companies could fuel bubble, warns RiverRoad

16 May 2012

Riskier companies in the US engaging in unsustainable income strategies are in danger of fuelling a sector bubble, says RiverRoad portfolio manager Thomas Forsha.
Greece has effectively left eurozone, says Carmignac

16 May 2012

Greece has effectively already left the euro, says Edouard Carmignac, chairman and chief investment officer of Carmignac Gestion.
Facebook increases share price expectations

15 May 2012

Facebook has increased its anticipated share price ahead of its initial public offering (IPO) expected later this month.
UK trade deficit narrows in March

15 May 2012

The UK trade deficit narrowed in March as the country registered a growth in exports to non-EU nations.
Euro area avoids recession

15 May 2012

The euro area (EU17) narrowly avoided falling back into a technical recession in the first quarter, according to the latest figures from Eurostat.
Aviva adjusts property fund bias in pursuit of yield

15 May 2012

Daniel McDonald, the manager of the Aviva Asia Pacific Property fund, is targeting the highest fund yield to date as new countries are weighed up for inclusion.
Axa appoints new lead manager for smaller companies fund

15 May 2012

Axa Framlington has named Henry Lowson as lead manager of the £53.8m Axa Framlington UK Smaller Companies fund taking over from Chris St John.
Just 20% of investors to grow portfolios in 2012

14 May 2012

Just one in five investors expect to increase the size of their portfolios this year as uncertainty about the global economy continues to suppress risk appetites.
Eurozone industrial production falls in March

14 May 2012

Seasonally adjusted industrial production in the euro area fell by 0.3% in March, led by output declines in The Netherlands and Denmark, according to Eurostat.
Quilter appoints chief financial officer

14 May 2012

Investment manager Quilter has named Mark Macleod as the firm’s chief financial officer, subject to regulatory approval.
Ascentric launches fifth offshore bond

14 May 2012

Ascentric has announced the launch of an offshore bond to be administered by Royal London 360°.
Mixed Investment 20-60% wins sector laurels on Cofunds

Fund Strategy - 14 May 2012

The most popular sector for Isas on the Cofunds platform in the 2011-12 tax year was the IMA’s Mixed Investment 20-60% Shares peer group.
L&G fund downgraded by Bestinvest over charges

11 May 2012

Legal & General’s (L&G’s) US Index fund has been downgraded to a sell rating by Bestinvest after it decided the fund could no longer be considered competitive.
Lipper: Best Q1 for fund flows since 2007

11 May 2012

The European funds industry has reported its best opening quarter since 2007, according to data from Lipper.
China's inflation slows in April

11 May 2012

China’s inflation rate slowed to 3.4% in April, according to the latest official statistics.
Cheyne Capital Management to launch two new funds

11 May 2012

Cheyne Capital Management has announced the launch of two new Ucits compliant funds in response to investor demand.
Quilter bolsters investment team

10 May 2012

Investment manager Quilter has appointed Scott Peebles to the Edinburgh-based investment team.
Old Mutual funds grow in Q1

10 May 2012

Old Mutual has reported a 6% increase in funds under management to £116.1 billion in its long-term savings division, which includes Skandia.
Chinese exports outstrip imports

10 May 2012

China has reported a trade surplus that is almost double industry expectations as domestic demand slows.
Alliance Trust to up tech holdings for US fund

9 May 2012

Alliance Trust North American fund manager Matt Strachan is setting his sights on increasing its tech exposure as the sector enters a “new era”.
L&G: Advisers choose funds with strong sales

9 May 2012

Advisers are choosing funds with strong sales figures in greater numbers compared with 2011, raising the question of whether risk appetites are continuing to diminish, according to Legal & General (L&G) Investments.
No further QE expected, says Bank of America ML

8 May 2012

Disappointing economic data for the UK will not be enough to convince the Bank of England to make further gilt purchases, says Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML).
Signia Wealth appoints new head of alternative investments

8 May 2012

Signia Wealth has announced the appointment of Ameet Patel as the head of alternative investments.
Man Group names AHL chief risk oficer

8 May 2012

Man Group has named Douglas Greenig as the new chief risk officer for the group’s quantitative managed futures manager AHL.
French president Hollande a “necessary evil”, says Henderson's Bennett

8 May 2012

Francois Hollande’s presidential victory has been described as a “necessary evil” but one unlikely to be “a political earthquake” by fund managers.
Pimco takes over from Jupiter on St James’s Place mandate

8 May 2012

Asset manager Pimco has taken over management of the St. James’s Place Multi-Asset fund from Jupiter Asset Management.
Cazenove’s European Income favours high yield

Fund Strategy - 7 May 2012

Cazenove’s third strategy for Chris Rice, an income specialist, has been launched with a preference for high yield income.
L&G expert challenges OBR's growth forecast

Fund Strategy - 7 May 2012

The latest GDP growth forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is based on unsustainable predictions and overlooks the real possibility of a gilt crisis, an economist at Legal & General (L&G) says.
Inflation loses momentum in the OECD

4 May 2012

Consumer prices in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area declined slightly in March, reduced by a slowdown in food and energy inflation.
US unemployment drops to 8.1%

4 May 2012

The US has seen its unemployment rate drop back to 8.1% after a modest 115,000 non-farm payroll jobs were added in April.
Wells Capital Investment Solutions acquires Reeves

4 May 2012

Wells Capital Investment Solutions has completed its acquisition of Reeves Investment Management.
European Central Bank keeps rates at 1%

3 May 2012

The European Central Bank (ECB) has elected to hold the overnight rate at 1% for the sixth consecutive month.
Cazenove European Income to launch with high yield bias

3 May 2012

Cazenove’s European Income fund, which will be managed by Chris Rice, head of pan-European equities, is to launch with a high yield bias.
Quilter names ex-HSBC Private Bank head as chairman

3 May 2012

Chris Meares, ex-head of HSBC Private Bank, has been appointed as non-executive chairman of investment manager Quilter.
Fitch: US recovery looks unsustainable

3 May 2012

The apparent success of the US government’s stimulus measures has raised questions about the sustainability of the recovery, according to Fitch Ratings.
Signia Wealth appoints ex-Barclays head

3 May 2012

Signia Wealth has hired former Barclays’ head Sonjoy Phukan as a managing director at the firm.
Morningstar: Investors prefer physically-backed ETFs

2 May 2012

Investors are continuing to show preference for physical-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to research compiled by Morningstar.
UK GDP forecast too optimistic, says L&G's Carrick

2 May 2012

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR’s) GDP growth forecast is based on unsustainable predictions and overlooks a real possibility of a gilt crisis, says one L&G economist.
"Sell in May" maxim holds true, says FundExpert's Dennehy

1 May 2012

Brian Dennehy, founder of FundExpert.co.uk, says recent research carried out by the platform supports the “sell in May” maxim for certain fund sectors.
Swip real estate director to retire

1 May 2012

Malcolm Naish, director of real estate for Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip), has announced plans to take early retirement.
Defensive stocks underperform in Q1, says Omam's Watts

1 May 2012

Mid cap high beta stocks performed strongly in the first quarter as defensive areas proved disappointing, says Old Mutual Asset Managers (Omam) manager Richard Watts.
Ignis plans absolute return product for credit team

30 Apr 2012

Ignis Asset Management has confirmed it is planning to launch an absolute return fund for Chris Bowie in the summer.
Investment trust managers bullish on Europe

30 Apr 2012

European equity markets are currently presenting a “fabulous entry point” as we near the end of a long bear market, according to John Bennett, manager at Henderson Global Investors.
Concerns over China real estate "pure schadenfreude", says Tiburon

30 Apr 2012

The western view of the Chinese property sector is pure schadenfruede, says Tiburon Partners’ Mark Martyrossian.
Gold ETC popularity nears two-month high

30 Apr 2012

Gold exchange-traded commodities (ETCs) have experienced the highest rate of inflows for almost two months as the clamour for ‘safe havens’ resumes.
IMA responds to Kay Review

30 Apr 2012

The Investment Management Association (IMA) has welcomed the Kay Review’s initial report, but warns that the importance of equity markets may have been overstated.
Euro area inflation predicted to have fallen in April

30 Apr 2012

Annual inflation in the euro area is expected to have declined slightly in April but will remain above the European Central Bank’s 2% target, Eurostat predicts.
Banks cited in Spanish downgrade

Fund Strategy - 30 Apr 2012

Spain last week suffered the second downgrade to its credit rating this year as Standard & Poor’s (S&P) raised concerns over the country’s increasing need for fiscal support.
Experts shrug off recession fears

Fund Strategy - 30 Apr 2012

Figures obtained from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week revealed that Britain slipped back into recession during the first quarter of 2012.
Fund launches soar in final quarter

Fund Strategy - 30 Apr 2012

Fund launches increased by 256% in the last three months of 2011 over the previous quarter, according to the latest Fund Watch survey from Thames River Multi-Capital (TRMC).
Esma plans to address ETF risks

27 Apr 2012

The European Securities & Markets Authority (Esma) is proposing adjustments to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) requirements designed to eliminate certain risks that currently “need to be addressed”.
Barclays bonuses could spark revolt

27 Apr 2012

The ongoing row over pay renumeration levels for top executives at Barclays could lead to shareholder revolt.
More than two-thirds of advisers shun self-directed, says Cofunds

27 Apr 2012

More than two-thirds of advisers have no plans to offer a self-directed service to some client segments, according to fund platform Cofunds.
Spain hit with second downgrade of 2012

27 Apr 2012

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has downgraded Spain’s credit rating for the second time this year, citing concerns over the country’s growing need for fiscal support.
UK issues most European high yield credit in Q1

26 Apr 2012

UK companies had the highest rate of European high yield credit issuance in Europe during the first quarter of 2012, according to Fitch Ratings.
No bubble for government bonds, says RLAM

26 Apr 2012

Government bonds are not in a bubble, says Jonathan Platt, the head of fixed interest at Royal London Asset Management (RLAM).
Financial advisers want to see RDR campaign

26 Apr 2012

The majority of financial advisers are in favour of an awareness-raising campaign on the benefits of the retail distribution review (RDR).
More funding may be needed for Spanish banking sector, warns IMF

26 Apr 2012

An Interanational Monetary Fund (IMF) assessment of Spain’s financial sector has concluded that while the larger banks are sufficiently capitalised, “pockets of vulnerabilities” remain.
Investors have lost perspective, says Muzinich manager

25 Apr 2012

Investors have lost their sense of perspective and are losing out on investment opportunities as a consequence, warns Muzinich & Co manager Tatjana Greil Castro.
Fund launches soar in Q4, reports Thames River

25 Apr 2012

The number of fund launches in the fourth quarter of 2011 grew by 256% compared with the previous quarter, according to the latest FundWatch survey from Thames River Multi-Capital.
Way applies to wind up EFA Tactica Multi-Asset Portfolios

25 Apr 2012

Way Fund Managers has applied to the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for permission to wind up the EFA Tactica Multi-Asset Portfolios.
Bestinvest awards Schroder Asian fund four star rating

25 Apr 2012

The £251m Schroder Asian Alpha fund – managed by Matthew Dobbs – has been awarded a four star rating by Bestinvest.
MPC member defends calls for further QE

25 Apr 2012

Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member David Miles has defended his calls for further quantitative easing (QE) despite opposition from other members.
Vanguard makes appointments to sales team

24 Apr 2012

Vanguard has expanded its London-based sales team with three appointments.
Managers warned over KIIDs deadline

23 Apr 2012

Asset managers are being urged not to underestimate the complexities behind the transition to Key Investor Information Documents (KIIDs).
Be wary of French debt, says Pimco

23 Apr 2012

Investors are urged to take a cautious approach to French government debt, regardless of who wins the second round on May 6, says Pimco’s Jürgen Martinschledde.
Banco de España estimates a 0.4% contraction for Q1

23 Apr 2012

The Spanish central bank has estimated that the economy contracted by 0.4%, on a quarterly basis, during the three months ending March 31.
Savers choose ISAs over pensions

23 Apr 2012

Millions of people in the UK are abandoning traditional pension structures in favour of other trust vehicles such as individual savings accounts (ISAs), according to research published by the Institute of Directors.
Schroders launches high income fund of funds

23 Apr 2012

Schroders has announced the launch of a fund-of-funds vehicle investing in the Schroder Maximiser and Schroder Fixed Income unit trusts.
UK dividends reach record highs in Q1

23 Apr 2012

UK dividends hit record levels in the first quarter as payouts increased by 25% to £18.8 billion, according to the latest UK Dividend Monitor by Capita Registrars.
Sovereign crisis blunts bullishness

Fund Strategy - 23 Apr 2012

The latest chapter in the sovereign debt crisis has caused global fund managers to retreat from earlier positions of optimism.
BofA ML revises down Q1 GDP estimates

20 Apr 2012

Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML) has revised down its UK GDP expectations for the first quarter of 2012.
US equity favourite General Electric beats analyst expectations

20 Apr 2012

General Electric (GE) has beaten industry expectations after releasing its first quarter results.
Social networking is fuelling new tech bubble, says Berry

19 Apr 2012

The race to control social networking is helping to fuel a new and dangerous technology bubble, according to Berry Asset Management.
Bank of America results show Q1 improvement

19 Apr 2012

Bank of America’s global wealth and management division has reported the second highest rate of net income since the acquisition of Merrill Lynch in 2008.
We are past the worst in Europe, says Axa's Iggo

19 Apr 2012

We are past the worst of the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, according to Chris Iggo, chief investment officer at Axa Investment Management, thanks to a strengthened policy framework.
BCC: Government must do more to encourage private sector hiring

19 Apr 2012

The UK government must do more to encourage private sector hiring, says the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC), predicting further rises in unemployment in 2012.
Standard Life forms emerging market debt team

19 Apr 2012

Standard Life has today announced it is creating an emerging market bonds team to be led by head of emerging market debt, Richard House.
LTRO honeymoon is coming to an end, warns Standish

18 Apr 2012

Investors are realising that the long-term refinancing operation (LTRO) has done nothing to address Europe’s underlying solvency problems, according to BNY Mellon boutique Standish.
US set to benefit from suppressed energy availability

18 Apr 2012

The US is poised to increase its share of global economic growth based on its energy production capabilities, says David Donora, head of commodities at Threadneedle.
SMEs urged to look to bond platforms for financing

18 Apr 2012

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should look to bond platforms as bank credit continues to diminish, according to a report by Bishopsfield Capital Partners.
Axa plans new inflation product for Le Morhedec

17 Apr 2012

Axa Investment Managers is planning to roll out a new inflation product designed to offer a wider investment universe than the existing Global Inflation Bonds fund.
Dollar funds suffer as euro funds boom

17 Apr 2012

Despite renewed fears of a sovereign debt crisis spike, euro-denominated funds fared considerably better than dollar funds last week.
Mixed Investment sector tops sales for second consecutive month

17 Apr 2012

The Mixed Investment 20-60% Shares sector was the most popular among advisers on the Cofunds platform for the second consecutive month.
Asset managers retreat to cash

17 Apr 2012

The latest developments in the sovereign debt crisis has led fund managers to retreat into cash from equity positions, according to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch fund manager survey.
Euro area inflation revised up

17 Apr 2012

The euro area’s annualised inflation rate has remained unchanged from February in March, holding at 2.7%.
Short Japan wins for ETCs in Q1

17 Apr 2012

Shorting the Japanese yen and exposure to the energy sector provided the best performances for exchange-traded commodities (ETCs) in the first quarter.
Euro area generates trade surplus in February

16 Apr 2012

Exports from the euro area to the rest of world during February are in surplus, according to the first estimate by the European Union’s statistical office Eurostat.
Leveraged short ETFs struggle in Q1

16 Apr 2012

Strong performance demonstrated by equity markets during the first quarter has proven disastrous for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) gambling on a bleaker start to 2012.
Legg Mason fund receives AA rating

16 Apr 2012

Legg Mason’s Brandywine Global Fixed Income fund has been upgraded to an AA rating by Standard and Poor’s (S&P).
Ardevora AUM passes £100m

16 Apr 2012

Ardevora Asset Management’s total assets under management have passed the £100m mark for the first time since the firm’s launch.
Bullion prices up 6.3% while equities languish

Fund Strategy - 16 Apr 2012

Gold could reach $2,000 an ounce after resuming its 11-year uptrend at the start of this year, says Angelos Damaskos, the chief executive of Sector Investments and investment adviser to the Junior Gold fund.
Corporate tax set to be big issue as Romney has nomination in his sights

Fund Strategy - 16 Apr 2012

With the departure of Rick Santorum last week, Mitt Romney has emerged as the clear front-runner to carry the Republican party’s bid for the American presidency in November.
Slowing growth raises new concerns

Fund Strategy - 16 Apr 2012

China’s GDP growth slowed to 8.1% during the first quarter of this year, down from 8.9% in the fourth quarter of 2011 and below industry expectations.
Further downward pressure on gas prices to come, says O'Neill

13 Apr 2012

Natural gas contracts fell to their lowest levels in 11 years during the first quarter with potentially further downward pressure on prices to come, says Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Europe, Middle East & Africa’s Bill O’Neill.
Equities rally has further to go, according to Skandia

13 Apr 2012

Skandia Investment Group has predicted the recent equities rally has further to run despite an already record performance during the first quarter.
China's GDP growth falls below expectations

13 Apr 2012

China’s GDP growth has slowed to 8.1% during the first quarter of the year, down from 8.9% for the fourth quarter of 2011 and below industry expectations.
Liontrust completes acquisition of Walkers Crips

13 Apr 2012

Liontrust Asset Management has completed its acquisition of Walkers Crips Asset Management, after gaining final shareholder approval.
Optimism returns to fund sector, finds SEI

12 Apr 2012

Business optimism has reached “extremely high” levels among investment managers, according to a survey conducted by investment services provider SEI.
European funds sector reports net inflows of €83bn in Q4 2011

12 Apr 2012

Net cash inflows of €83 billion (£68.4 billion) were reported in the European funds sector during the fourth quarter after outflows in the previous quarter, according to the European Fund & Asset Management Association (Efama).
Gold could reach $2,000 per ounce, says Damaskos

11 Apr 2012

Gold could reach $2,000 (£1,256) per ounce after resuming its 11-year uptrend at the beginning of 2012, says Angelos Damaskos.
Sunny weather delivers a boost to UK retail sales

11 Apr 2012

Total UK retail sales have risen by 3.6% from March 2011, driven largely by growth in the non-food sectors, according to the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.
Tracker funds dominate Alliance Trust platform sales

11 Apr 2012

Four of the top five funds purchased on the Alliance Trust i.nvest platform in the run-up to the tax year-end were tracker funds.
Rowan Dartington appoints relationship manager

11 Apr 2012

Rowan Dartington has appointed Ian Entwhistle as the firm’s relationship and business development manager to help grow funds under management.
Equities gains harder to come by, warns BlackRock's Doll

10 Apr 2012

Returns will be harder to come by going forward than in recent months, says Bob Doll, the chief equity strategist of fundamental equities at BlackRock.
UK at 'front of queue' for foreign investment, says Unicorn

10 Apr 2012

Britain will be at the “front of the queue” when it comes to foreign companies looking for investment opportunities in Europe, says Unicorn’s John McClure.
7IM backs European financials

10 Apr 2012

Equities in European financials are looking “particularly attractive” at the present, according to Seven Investment Management’s (7IM’s) asset allocation committee.
Eurozone banks reject US dollar financing, says Fitch

10 Apr 2012

US money market funds may be increasing their exposure to eurozone banks but the banks are less sold on the reliability of MMF funding, says Fitch.
JO Hambro strengthens global equities team

10 Apr 2012

JO Hambro Investment Management (JOHIM) has appointed Peter Rutter to its global equities team.
German exports increase for second consecutive month

10 Apr 2012

Germany’s trade surplus for March has exceeded industry expectations despite coming in at under the preceding month’s figure.
Government bonds most overvalued asset class, says CFA Society

10 Apr 2012

Government bonds are considered the most overvalued asset class relative to fair value, according to a survey conducted by the CFA Society.
China reports unexpected trade surplus

10 Apr 2012

The latest trade balance results from China have revealed an unexpected surplus after analysts forecast a $3.2 billion (£2 billion) deficit.
Bank of Japan leaves rates unchanged

10 Apr 2012

The Bank of Japan has elected to keep overnight rates at their current level of between 0% and 0.1%.
M&G portfolios hit top 10 list in first quarter

Fund Strategy - 9 Apr 2012

Richard Woolnough’s M&G Optimal Income fund attracted the highest level of inflows during the first three months of 2012, according to FE Analytics.
UK at ‘front of queue’ says manager

Fund Strategy - 9 Apr 2012

Britain will be at the “front of the queue” when it comes to foreign companies looking for investment opportunities in Europe, says Unicorn’s John McClure.
Aberdeen Development Capital proposes winding up

5 Apr 2012

Aberdeen Development Capital has proposed the voluntary winding up of the investment company to shareholders.
Hsia takes over Investec’s European fund

5 Apr 2012

Fund manager Ken Hsia has taken over as the lead manager of Investec’s £27.6m European fund from Nigel Hankin.
Rathbones acquires London wealth manager

5 Apr 2012

Rathbone Investment Management has completed the acquisition of wealth management firm RM Walkden & Co for an undisclosed sum.
FSA report highlights outsourcing concerns, says Assetfirst

5 Apr 2012

Firms should consider carefully before outsourcing their investment management activities, Assetfirst’s Philip Bailey has warned.
Q1's most bought and sold funds

4 Apr 2012

Richard Woolnough’s M&G Optimal Income fund attracted the highest level of inflows during the first three months of 2012, according to FE Analytics.
Spain and Italy disappear from money market funds

4 Apr 2012

Spain and Italy have joined Greece, Ireland and Portugal in becoming excluded from European money market funds (MMFs), according to Fitch Ratings.
Advisers opt for model portfolios ahead of RDR, Skandia finds

4 Apr 2012

The majority of advisers will increase their reliance on model portfolios and risk-rated funds as a result of the retail distribution review (RDR), according to research from Skandia Investment Group.
Fund managers buy into Apple during Q1

4 Apr 2012

Shares in Apple have become the most sought after among fund managers during the first quarter of the year, according to data from FE Analytics.
Value of Spanish property market could halve, says O'Neill

3 Apr 2012

Spain’s property sector could see as much as 50% of its value disappear, says Merrill Lynch Wealth Management’s Bill O’Neill.
Banks have not done enough to prevent another crisis

3 Apr 2012

Nearly half of institutional investors interviewed by The Share Centre say banks’ processes are not sufficient to prevent another crisis.
Best performing sectors and funds in Q1 revealed

3 Apr 2012

Technology and telecoms was the best performing fund sector during the first quarter of 2012, according to the latest statistics from FE Analytics.
Old Mutual UK managers turn positive

3 Apr 2012

Old Mutual Asset Managers Dan Nickols and Richard Watts are responding to a more risk on environment by bolstering their portfolios with a basket of equities.
Investment trusts beat open-ended funds during Q1

2 Apr 2012

The majority of investment trust sectors delivered a better performance than their open-ended IMA equivalents during the first quarter, according to Winterflood Investment Trusts.
ACPI cuts bond duration on possible Indian rate cut

2 Apr 2012

Steven O’Hanlon, chief investment officer of the ACPI, says bond durations in its Indian Fixed Income fund have been shortened in anticipation of a central bank rate cut in April.
Baring emerging markets fund adjusts for risk-on environment

2 Apr 2012

Signs of an economic recovery in the US and Europe have led to Baring’s Hartwig Kos to increase equity exposure within the Baring Dynamic Emerging Markets fund.
JP Morgan launches second macro hedge ETF

2 Apr 2012

JP Morgan and exchange-traded fund providers Source have announced the launch of a euro-denominated index-tracking product.
Liontrust enjoys first-quarter surge

Fund Strategy - 2 Apr 2012

The latest trading update from Liontrust Asset Management has confirmed the group’s second consecutive year of inflows as well as a 15% climb in assets under management.
Platform users dwarfed by off-platform advisers

29 Mar 2012

An analysis by IFA database MyTouchstone suggests that more IFAs were placing business off-platform than were using platforms towards the end of 2011.
US GDP growth held at 3%

29 Mar 2012

The rate of economic growth in the US during the fourth quarter of 2011 has been confirmed at 3% by the US Commerce Department.
Nearly 30% of UK adults don’t understand stocks and shares ISAs

29 Mar 2012

A survey by Barclays has discovered that 29% of UK adults have no understanding of how a stocks and shares individual savings account (ISA) works.
RLAM reports profit rise

29 Mar 2012

Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) has reported a 36% increase in pre-tax profits during 2011.
Liontrust reports second year of net inflows

29 Mar 2012

Liontrust Asset Management has reported net positive inflows of £146m for the financial year, with £72m coming through in the first quarter of 2012.
UK GDP growth revised down

28 Mar 2012

The UK economy fared worse in the fourth quarter of 2011 than previously estimated, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Posen: Why has the US recovery been better than the UK's?

28 Mar 2012

Corporate investment has rebounded better in the US than in the UK thanks to the availability of non-bank options for financing, says external Monetary Policy Committee member Adam Posen.
Larger companies look to bond market for funding, says LGIM

27 Mar 2012

Larger companies are increasingly overlooking banks to instead focus on the corporate bond sector, according to Legal & General Investment Management’s Ben Bennett.
Fitch warns on European transport infrastructure

27 Mar 2012

Fitch Ratings has warned that a number of UK transportation hubs will fail to secure refinancing based on underperformance.
IMA urges clarity on AIFM proposals

27 Mar 2012

The Investment Management Association (IMA) has urged the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to adopt a less prescriptive approach to alternative investment funds.
Gold ETPs experience largest outflows in 2012

27 Mar 2012

Gold exchange-traded products (ETPs) have experienced the largest outflows for three months, brought down by a weakening gold price, according to ETF Securities.
Volatility remains concerning, says O'Neill

27 Mar 2012

Volatility on Wall Street has undergone a record decline in recent months but Merrill Lynch Wealth Management’s Bill O’Neill warns investors not to become complacent.
Vanguard criticises transparency shortcomings

26 Mar 2012

Efforts to increase transparency must be accompanied by efforts to better educate investors, if the retail distribution review (RDR) is to have a meaningful impact, says Vanguard’s Nick Blake.
Advisers double-dip fears abated, says Barings

26 Mar 2012

Investment professionals are becoming increasingly optimistic about the economic outlook as concerns over a double dip recession begin to fade, says Barings.
Income dominates The Share Centre's February best-sellers

26 Mar 2012

Six income funds were among The Share Centre’s top 10 best-sellers during February, as investors sought to boost their earnings.
Thesis makes managerial hires

26 Mar 2012

Thesis Asset Management has appointed Lawrence Cook as business development and marketing director.
Rating agencies criticised over transparency shortcomings

26 Mar 2012

The European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA’s) examination of the credit rating agencies has highlighted several transparency issues.
European body voices concern over transparency

Fund Strategy - 26 Mar 2012

The European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) examination of the credit rating agencies (CRAs) has highlighted several concerns over transparency.
Bob Champney joins Protean Investments

23 Mar 2012

Bob Champney, former managing director of Merrill Lynch, has joined Protean Investments.
OBSR integrated into Morningstar

22 Mar 2012

The Old Broad Street Research (OBSR) research and consulting businesses have been rebranded and the previous rating system retired.
Kames restructures property team

22 Mar 2012

Kames Capital has announced that it is to restructure its property team by dividing it into five specialist divisions.
US money market funds move back into eurozone banks

22 Mar 2012

US money market funds are starting to move back into the eurozone banking sector after accelerated outflows in the second half of 2011.
'I wouldn’t touch 100-year gilt with a bargepole', says fixed income specialist

21 Mar 2012

A 100-year gilt could prove financially and politically very embarrassing says Peter Baum, director at Glendevon King Asset Management.
Budget 2012: The reaction

21 Mar 2012

Industry reaction to the UK government’s 2012 Budget has been largely approving with the most positive reaction coming from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Budget 2012: Overview

21 Mar 2012

Chancellor George Osborne has outlined a three point budget designed to focus on stablising the economy, simplifying the tax system and reforms aimed at supporting growth.
Budget 2012: Government to make ISA market more transparent

21 Mar 2012

The UK government has pledged to improve transparency and competitiveness in the individual savings account (ISA) market.
Budget 2012: Largest ever increase in personal allowance

21 Mar 2012

Chancellor George Osborne has pledged the largest ever increase in the personal allowance tax rate.
Budget 2012: Corporation tax rate to fall to 22% by 2014

21 Mar 2012

The headline rate of corporation tax will be cut from 26% to 25% with a further cut of 1% right away.
Budget 2012: UK government considers perpetual gilts

21 Mar 2012

The Debt Management Office is considering the issuance of longer-dated gilts.
Budget 2012: Borrowing to reach £126bn this year, says Osborne

21 Mar 2012

The UK government will borrow £126 billion this year, says George Osborne.
UK government borrowing doubles expectations

21 Mar 2012

UK government borrowing climbed to £15.1 billion in February – more than double analysts’ forecasts.
US grows in popularity among active investors

20 Mar 2012

The US is becoming increasingly popular among active investors amid signs a recovery may be underway, says the Association of Investment Companies (AIC).
Treasury yield high unlikely to stay, says O’Neill

20 Mar 2012

The climb in Treasury yields, sparked by last week’s sell off, is unlikely to prove permanent in the near term says Merrill Lynch Wealth Management’s Bill O’Neill.
S&P Capital IQ replaces rating system

19 Mar 2012

S&P Capital IQ plans to change its current system of fund ratings to platinum, gold, silver and bronze.
Financial transactions tax must be implemented soon, argues EU commissioner

19 Mar 2012

An EU-wide financial transactions tax (FTT) will strengthen the single market and order institutions to pay their “fair share”, according to the EU commissioner for taxation.
Saxo Bank launches wealth management platform

19 Mar 2012

Saxo Bank has announced the launch of a wealth management platform for retail investors.
Adviser warns investment trusts not doing enough for RDR

19 Mar 2012

Investment companies are not doing enough to benefit from the retail distribution review (RDR) says IFA Dennis Hall.
‘Opaque’ charging will put off clients, trusts warned

Fund Strategy - 19 Mar 2012

Investment companies are not doing enough to benefit from the retail distribution review (RDR) says IFA Dennis Hall.
Agency downgrades sovereign debt outlook

Fund Strategy - 19 Mar 2012

Fitch Ratings downgraded its outlook for Britain’s sovereign debt to negative last week, but kept its AAA rating.
US inflation grows at fastest rate in months

16 Mar 2012

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has attributed 80% of the latest month-on-month rise in inflation to sharp increases in the gasoline index.
Investors do not know what they’re paying for, says Saxo

16 Mar 2012

Research conducted by Saxo Bank has revealed that 41% of UK investors have no clear understanding of the fees they are paying for wealth management.
Axa’s Peirson brings bond exposure down to cash levels

16 Mar 2012

Equities are on while bonds are off, says Axa’s Richard Peirson, highlighting the widening gap between equity valuations and the equivalent debt option.
Bank of England avoids downgrade

16 Mar 2012

Fitch Ratings has affirmed the Bank of England’s (BoE’s) AAA rating but given the central bank a negative outlook, following a similar action on the UK’s sovereign debt.
ECB board member argues for greater active governance

15 Mar 2012

The euro area still requires the kind of political institutions that provide “shock absorbers” in order to prevent a repeat of some of the features of the debt crisis, according to the ECB’s José González-Páramo.
Ireland commits $37.5m to venture capital fund

15 Mar 2012

The Irish government has committed $37.5m (£24m) to venture capital specialists Sofinnova Ventures in order for them to establish a ’presence’ in Ireland.
Hearthstone hires assistant manager ahead of launch

15 Mar 2012

Hearthstone Investments has appointed Lucy Hawkins to assist in the running of its forthcoming residential property authorised investment fund (Paif).
Fidelity launches global demographic fund

15 Mar 2012

Fidelity has launched a global demographic fund designed with a focus on companies that stand to gain from long-term sociological developments.
Ex-rate setter claims Bank "overly optimistic" on inflation

14 Mar 2012

PricewaterhouseCoopers economist Andrew Sentance says the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is being overly optimistic about predicting falls in inflation and has yet to get to grips with sustained patterns.
Mixed investment shares sector dominates Cofunds sales in February

13 Mar 2012

Mixed investment shares accounted for the vast majority of sales on the Cofunds platform in February.
Greece exit likely, says Doll

13 Mar 2012

It is likely Greece will eventually have to leave the eurozone, according to BlackRock’s Bob Doll.
Nine-month high for European funds industry, says Lipper

13 Mar 2012

The European funds industry has reported the highest rate of inflows in nine months, according to the latest sales trends from Lipper.
Demand for Dim Sum bonds under threat, says Fitch

13 Mar 2012

Growth in issuance of Dim Sum bonds is expected to tail off this year even as investor demand increases, says Fitch Ratings.
Ashburton appoints lead manager on equity funds

13 Mar 2012

Asset manager Ashburton has named Veronika Pechlaner as lead manager on its international equity funds.
Dollar stabilising against Chinese yuan, says O’Neill

13 Mar 2012

Recent developments in the currency markets mean that the yuan may no longer be adjusted simply in reference to the US dollar, says Merrill Lynch Wealth Management’s Bill O’Neill.
Greek recession could be longest in modern history, says Aberdeen

12 Mar 2012

Greece “may well be in the midst of one of the longest recessions in modern history”, says Aberdeen’s Mike Turner.
BCC appeals to Osborne for a 'budget for business'

12 Mar 2012

The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has urged Chancellor George Osborne to deliver a ‘budget for business’ next week, at a cost of £4.2 billion.
ECB has put itself at risk, says F&C

12 Mar 2012

The advance of the long-term refinancing operation (LTRO) might have saved the eurozone from collapse but the ECB has opened itself up to serious potential risks in its determination to deliver lending, according to F&C.
Threadneedle prepares platform launch

12 Mar 2012

Threadneedle’s funds platform offering is a step closer to completion after it was revealed a pilot scheme is being rolled out to staff later this month.
Experts split over effect of Bank policies three years on

Fund Strategy - 12 Mar 2012

Last week marked the three-year anniversary of the Bank of England’s unprecedented commitment to record-low interest rates, accompanied by a multi-billion pound asset purchase programme.
Threadneedle to pilot funds platform

Fund Strategy - 12 Mar 2012

Threadneedle’s funds platform offering is a step closer to completion after it was revealed a pilot scheme is being rolled out to staff later this month.
Axa closes UK tracker fund

9 Mar 2012

Axa Investment Management has decided to close its Axa UK Tracker fund as part of the group’s focus on active management.
Fitch downgrades Greece again

9 Mar 2012

Fitch Ratings has followed through with its threat to downgrade Greece after the debt swap was confirmed.
Allied Irish Bank targets 17% reduction of workforce

9 Mar 2012

Allied Irish Bank (AIB) has announced plans to reduce staff costs by €170m (£142m) through 2,500 voluntary staff redundancies.
EC acts to protect guarantors of quadrillion euro market

7 Mar 2012

The European Commission (EC) has proposed new regulations for the institutions handling securities settlement, designed to open borders and minimise risks.
Advisers turning away from independent advice models

7 Mar 2012

An increasing number of financial advisers are turning towards the restricted advice models, threatening independent advice’s role as the dominant market force.
Bank of England should cut rates, says M&G’s Leaviss

6 Mar 2012

Ahead of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Thursday, M&G manager Jim Leaviss has called for further rate cuts.
Iran crisis could push Brent to $200 a barrel

6 Mar 2012

An escalation of the Iran crisis could push oil prices up to $200 (£127) a barrel, comes the warning from one of Europe’s largest financial services providers Erste Group.
Skandia removes China mandate from First State

6 Mar 2012

Skandia has appointed MIR Investment Management to run its Greater China Equity fund.
Further QE in US could be on the way, says O'Neill

6 Mar 2012

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke is playing for time and a third round of QE could be on the horizon, says Bill O’Neill, chief investment officer for Europe, Middle East & Africa at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.
Santander UK names head of UK banking

6 Mar 2012

Santander UK’s Steve Pateman is to become head of UK banking, with responsibility for retail distribution & intermediaries and products & marketing.
Developed world is neglecting infrastructure investment

5 Mar 2012

The OECD has warned that as much as $53 trillion (£33.5 trillion) could be needed in infrastructure investment by 2030.
Eurozone to stay in recession for rest of year, says BofA ML

5 Mar 2012

The eurozone will remain in recession for the rest of the year despite the relief provided by longer-term refinancing operations (LTRO), says Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML).
Exchange-traded products see inflows slow

5 Mar 2012

Exchange traded product (ETP) trading activity in Europe has started to slow after investors made a strong commitment in January.
UK will avoid double-dip recession, says BCC

5 Mar 2012

The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has revised down its UK GDP growth expectations but stopped short of predicting a double-dip recession.
Aberdeen to take on Credit Suisse Brazil funds

5 Mar 2012

Aberdeen Asset Management has been appointed to manage two Credit Suisse Brazilian funds.
European ETP activity slowing down after strong trade in January

Fund Strategy - 5 Mar 2012

Exchange traded product (ETP) trading activity in Europe has started to slow after investors made a strong commitment in January.
Fixed income posts highest inflows since 2010

Fund Strategy - 5 Mar 2012

?Fixed-income funds started the year with the highest level of retail sales since October 2010, reports the IMA.
Italian call for powers to reject agency ratings

Fund Strategy - 5 Mar 2012

Leonardo Domenici, an Italian MEP, has called for European Union (EU) member states to have the right to dismiss credit rating agency verdicts.
Iceland’s recovery threatened by impending challenges

2 Mar 2012

Iceland’s moderate recovery is likely to steer growth away from domestic investment projects and towards opening up exports, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Scottish Widows brings Nimmo fund in-house

1 Mar 2012

Harry Nimmo is to be replaced as the manager on the Scottish Widows HIFML UK Smaller Companies Alpha fund after the mandate was brought in-house.
Henderson renames investment trust

1 Mar 2012

The Henderson TR Pacific Investment Trust has changed its name to the Henderson Asian Growth Trust.
Unemployment reaches record high in eurozone

1 Mar 2012

Unemployment in the eurozone soared to its highest on record in January as an extra 185,000 in member states reported themselves out of work.
Rating agencies “sleepwalked” into crisis, says L&G

29 Feb 2012

Credit rating agencies “sleepwalked into [the] ’08 crisis” and have far less extra value to add today, says Georg Grodzki, head of credit research at Legal & General.
EU inflation falls in January

29 Feb 2012

Inflation in the both the European Union (EU) and wider eurozone fell again in January, according to the EU’s statistical office.
UK AAA rating loss unimportant, says MPC’s Posen

29 Feb 2012

A leading member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has said the potential loss of the UKs AAA credit rating is unimportant.
King defends banks' loss-making asset sales

29 Feb 2012

Mervyn King defended moves by UK banks to sell assets at a loss when he appeared in front of the Treasury Select Committee (TSC) this morning.
Go defensive, says Pimco’s Gross

28 Feb 2012

Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer at Pimco, has signalled that the current financial environment should encourage investors to adopt a more defensive strategy.
Ireland and Portugal loans approved by IMF

28 Feb 2012

Ireland and Portugal have both been granted their next loan tranches following the completion of their International Monetary Fund (IMF) reviews.
ECB refuses to allow Greek debt as collateral

28 Feb 2012

The European Central Bank (ECB) has suspended the use of Greek government debt for use as collateral in monetary policy operations.
Greek banks surviving downgrade, says Fitch

27 Feb 2012

Greek banks appear to have emerged unscathed in the immediate aftermath of the latest sovereign downgrade, says Fitch Ratings.
Inflows into fixed income funds rocket, says IMA

27 Feb 2012

Fixed income funds started the year with the highest level of retail sales since October 2010, reports the Investment Management Association (IMA).
Tobin tax will put money market funds out of business, says Efama

27 Feb 2012

A European financial transaction tax (FTT) – or Tobin tax – will put money market funds out of business and levy a ‘significant cost impact’ on long-term savers, according to one European trade body.
Standard Life’s Nimmo stands by strategy

27 Feb 2012

Small-cap specialist Harry Nimmo has pledged to stick with his investment strategy and says his funds will be outperforming by mid-2012.
Eurozone will survive with Greece, says Zoellinger

27 Feb 2012

Greece will remain a part of the single currency, according to Andreas Zoellinger, fund manager at BlackRock.
Experts predict fall in price as oil peaks at $124

Fund Strategy - 27 Feb 2012

Oil prices reached a nine-month high in dollar terms last week, trading at over $124 a barrel, but the consensus is prices will plummet later in 2012.
Summit: Excessive regulation a threat to emerging markets, says UBS

23 Feb 2012

Excessive regulatory efforts are currently posing the greatest threat to emerging market equities, according to UBS Global Asset Management’s Urs Antonioli.
Summit: Oil valuations "unsustainable", says Fidelity's Lodha

23 Feb 2012

Fidelity’s Amit Lodha is positioning the Global Real Asset Securities fund in anticipation of a falloff in oil prices.
Global sector best selling on FundsNetwork in January

21 Feb 2012

Income funds again proved to be the most popular among investors using the Fidelity FundsNetwork platform in January.
Gilt demand outstrips supply, says Russell Investments

21 Feb 2012

Despite demand for UK gilts reaching “unprecedented levels”, the supply of longer-dated and inflation-linked gilts has failed to keep up with demand, according to Russell Investments.
Assets on wrap platforms rise by a third, says iShares

21 Feb 2012

BlackRock’s exchange-traded fund (ETF) provider iShares has reported a 34% rise in assets held on wrap platforms during 2011 to £746m.
Greece to get next bailout tranche

21 Feb 2012

Greece is set to get its next tranche of bailout money, worth an estimated €130 billion, after eurozone leaders announced an agreement with the Greek government.
Henderson poised to gear trust for first time in four years

20 Feb 2012

Michael Kerley stands to gear the £300.4m Henderson Far East investment trust for the first time in four years.
M&G multi-asset manager boosts gilt exposure

20 Feb 2012

The short-term future of the gilt market might be providing M&G’s Steven Andrew with the “greatest anxiety in my portfolio” but it has not stopped him adding to the fund’s position.
Invesco Perpetual launches balanced funds for investment chief

20 Feb 2012

Invesco Perpetual has launched three balanced funds managed by chief investment officer (CIO) Scott Wolle.
Henderson poised to gear trust for first time in four years

Fund Strategy - 20 Feb 2012

Michael Kerley stands to gear the £300.4m Henderson Far East investment trust for the first time in four years.
Invesco triple bill is a balancing act

Fund Strategy - 20 Feb 2012

Invesco Perpetual has launched three balanced funds managed by chief investment officer (CIO) Scott Wolle.
M&G manager boosts bias to gilts

Fund Strategy - 20 Feb 2012

The short-term future of the gilt market might be providing M&G’s Steven Andrew with the “greatest anxiety in my portfolio” but it has not stopped him adding to the fund’s position.
Close Brothers to launch discretionary investment service

16 Feb 2012

Close Brothers Asset Management plans to launch a discretionary investment service for private clients to be actively managed by Deryck Noble-Nesbitt, fund manager.
Irish fund industry predicts revenue boost

16 Feb 2012

Irish fund administrators remain bullish on revenue prospects with nearly half predicting increased revenues of over 20% for the financial year 2011.
Investors factoring equity risk into valuations, says PwC

15 Feb 2012

Investors are factoring the highest levels of equity risk into valuations for 20 years, reports PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Fresh finance sources needed, says CBI

15 Feb 2012

UK firms can no longer rely solely on the banks and new sources of finance are needed quickly, says the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Fund managers find increasing demand for income

15 Feb 2012

The volatile economic environment has led investors to become increasingly focused on income, according to a survey of fund managers by Aviva Investors.
UK unemployment approaches 17-year high

15 Feb 2012

Unemployment in the UK has climbed to its highest levels in nearly 17 years as 2.7m people are now out of work.
Allianz to ditch RCM brand

14 Feb 2012

Allianz Global Investors is to remove references to RCM from its fund range.
EC president assures China over eurozone prospects

14 Feb 2012

Macroeconomic fundamentals in the eurozone are ‘sound’, Herman Van Rompuy told delegates at the EU-China Business Summit today.
Fitch downgrades Santander

14 Feb 2012

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Santander to A from AA- in order to mirror the recent downgrade of the Spanish sovereign.
OECD area showing signs of positive change

13 Feb 2012

Economic activity among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members is starting to gain momentum, driven primarily by the US and Japan, according to the organisation.
Tracker fund sales reach record high in 2011, reports IMA

13 Feb 2012

The Investment Management Association (IMA) has revealed that tracker fund sales reached a record high in 2011.
Banks miss target for lending to smaller businesses

13 Feb 2012

Bank lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as part of Project Merlin, fell short of government targets in 2011.
Gemini mulls Indian income fund

13 Feb 2012

Gemini Investment Management is considering a second partnership project with Motilal Oswal Asset Management in the form of an Indian income fund.
Allianz to make Income & Growth available to UK investors

13 Feb 2012

Allianz Global Investors’ Income and Growth fund will be made available to UK investors by the end of the first quarter.
Hopes for rupee prompt partnership

Fund Strategy - 13 Feb 2012

Gemini Investment Management is considering a second partnership project with Motilal Oswal Asset Management (known as MOSt to reflect its origins as Motilal Oswal Securities Trading) in the form of an Indian income fund.
European funds industry suffers second worst year in a decade

10 Feb 2012

European fund activity ended in the red for only the second time in ten years in 2011, reports Lipper.
Barclays profits slip in 2011

10 Feb 2012

Barclays has posted a 3% decline in pre-tax profits for the year ending December 31 2011, driven largely by decreased activity from Barclays Capital.
Greece fails to cement bailout agreement

9 Feb 2012

Greece’s coalition government has agreed to austerity measures required in order to qualify for the second bailout package but has reportedly failed to convince lenders.
Calamos closes US Convertible Opportunities fund

9 Feb 2012

Calamos International has decided to close its US Convertible Opportunities fund due to an unfavourable market and the size of the fund.
UK trade deficit smallest since 2003

9 Feb 2012

The UK trade deficit shrunk to its lowest level since April 2003 in December, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Fidelity to convert retirement fund

9 Feb 2012

Fidelity will convert its £15.3m Retirement Income fund to a Multi Asset Income fund next week.
Rio Tinto profits drop 59%

9 Feb 2012

Mining companies continue to be visibly shaken by volatile commodity markets as Rio Tinto becomes the latest to post a fall-off in profitability.
Harris Associates manager backs US banks

8 Feb 2012

Michael Mangan, manager at Harris Associates, has identified US banks that have the capacity to move from seven times earnings to double that.
Investors will pay for active managers, says Lipper

8 Feb 2012

Retail investors in the UK are twice as likely to pay more for active management than they are to track an index, according to Lipper.
Hambro mining pick reports profits slide

8 Feb 2012

Mining giant BHP Billiton has posted a slide in profitability stemming from the sovereign debt crisis and economic slowdowns in China and India.
Barclays Radar fund bets against bunds

7 Feb 2012

Barclays Capital’s Research Analysis Driven Absolute Return (Radar) fund is going to launch with long positions on gilts and industrial metals.
Heartwood launches defensive multi-asset fund

7 Feb 2012

Heartwood Investment Management is to launch a defensive multi-asset fund for manager Martin Perry.
Schroders to launch strategic bond fund

7 Feb 2012

Schroders is to launch a strategic bond fund for ex-GLG manager Gareth Isaac and former UBS head Bob Jolly.
Eurozone's debt ratio shrinks

6 Feb 2012

The eurozone’s debt to GDP ratio is getting smaller while a wider Europe is growing more indebted, according to the latest figures from Eurostat.
Greek default looks “likely”, says Fitch

6 Feb 2012

A default is “likely on the horizon for Greece”, according to credit rating agency Fitch Ratings.
FE unveils Alpha Managers 2012 list

6 Feb 2012

FE has released its FE Alpha Managers for 2012 list, illustrating the top 10% of Investment Management Association (IMA) managers.
Brainspark to fight winding-up order

3 Feb 2012

Aim-listed investment company Brainspark is to fight a court-ordered winding-up order granted to creditors pursuing non-payments of more than £62,000.
TwentyFour and Gemini part ways

3 Feb 2012

TwentyFour Asset Management has announced it will be developing its own distribution capabilities by employing an in-house sales team.
Ardevora funds listed on Cofunds

3 Feb 2012

Ardevora Asset Management has had its funds added to the Cofunds platform.
Strong start to 2012 for the US jobs market

3 Feb 2012

US unemployment fell by more than expected in January as 243,000 jobs were added to the economy.
Old Mutual to return £1bn to shareholders

3 Feb 2012

Old Mutual is to return £1 billion to its shareholders following the sale of its Nordic business to Skandia.
Sungard says investors can manage currency break-up

3 Feb 2012

SunGard APT has calculated the fallout that will result from the different eurozone break-up scenarios.
Punter Southall acquires PSigma Asset Management

3 Feb 2012

Punter Southall Group has taken 100% ownership of joint venture PSigma Asset Management.
Facebook "significantly undervalued", says GLG's Pearson

2 Feb 2012

Facebook looks “significantly undervalued”, says GLG’s Philip Pearson, despite estimates that the social networking site could raise $5 billion (£3.2 billion) on listing.
Unicorn Aim VCT posts difficult fourth quarter

2 Feb 2012

Unicorn Asset Management’s Aim venture capital trust (VCT) has reported a “difficult” final quarter during which the portfolio delivered a negative total return.
Stenham hires head of risk management

2 Feb 2012

Stenham Asset Management has hired Pablo Balan as its head of risk management and quantitative research.
L&G gilt fund is the largest holding on Nucleus

2 Feb 2012

Legal & General’s Index Linked Gilt Index Trust has become the largest fund holding on the Nucleus platform.
Axa IM poaches Lyxor chief

2 Feb 2012

Axa Investment Managers has poached Laurent Seyer, chief executive of Lyxor Asset Management, to join as global head of investment solutions.
Terry Smith lambasts Goodwin knighthood decision

2 Feb 2012

Terry Smith, chief executive of Fundsmith, has criticised the decision to strip Fred Goodwin of his knighthood, in line with “traitors, dictators and fraudsters”.
F&C pressure sees Cairn Energy withdraw bonus

1 Feb 2012

UK oil and gas company Cairn Energy has withdrawn the promise of a £2.5m ‘transaction bonus’ to its chairman, following criticism from institutional shareholders.
7IM portfolio suite receives ratings

1 Feb 2012

The 7IM portfolio suite has been rated by multi-manager research specialist, Scopic Research.
Alliance Trust’s Di Bon backs European banks

1 Feb 2012

Alliance Trust manager Ilario Di Bon has introduced European banks to his global equities portfolio, describing them as “clear, long-term winners”.
Euro area inflation remains unchanged

1 Feb 2012

Inflation in the euro area is expected to have remained unchanged in January, according to the latest flash estimate from Eurostat.
UK manufacturing sector at eight-month high

1 Feb 2012

Manufacturing levels in the UK have reached their highest in eight months, while similar activity in the eurozone continues to contract.
Former RBS boss stripped of knighthood

31 Jan 2012

Fred Goodwin, the former head of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), has been stripped of his knighthood.
Swip bolsters real estate team

31 Jan 2012

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip) has recruited Geoff Hepburn as investment manager for the Halifax Investment Fund Managers Property fund.
Former New Star CIO launches transparency code

31 Jan 2012

Investment manager SCM Private has challenged the funds industry to adopt a transparency code designed to establish a “new type of moral capitalism”.
Brett Williams joins private equity firm

30 Jan 2012

Brett Williams, former chief of Skandia and Cofunds, has joined Lime Tree Investment Partners as a founder partner.
BofA ML forecasts further QE in February

30 Jan 2012

The Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML) predicts that a further £50 billion of quantitative easing (QE) will be announced by the Bank of England in February.
BoE forced to increase corporate debt involvement

30 Jan 2012

Deteriorating liquidity conditions in the fourth quarter of 2011 forced the Bank of England (BoE) to increase its activity in the corporate debt markets.
Eurozone confidence improves for first time in 10 months

30 Jan 2012

Business and consumer confidence in Europe has risen for the first time in 10 months, according to the latest figures from the European Commission.
Swip appoints chief economist

30 Jan 2012

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip) has appointed Lucy O’Carroll to the role of chief economist.
Debt crisis forces IMF to revise growth data

Fund Strategy - 30 Jan 2012

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest analysis of economic strength has led to growth expectations being slashed for most major economies.
Knights aims to Spice up fund with Asian infrastructure

Fund Strategy - 30 Jan 2012

Since taking over the £2.6m WAY Asian Spice fund, Gabrielle Knights has set her sights on investment opportunities in China, Indonesia and Thailand.
US GDP growth accelerates in fourth quarter

27 Jan 2012

The latest GDP figures from the US reveal that GDP growth accelerated during the fourth quarter of 2011.
"Skittish" investors create "year to forget" as outflows hit €119 billion

26 Jan 2012

Long-term funds witnessed outflows of €119 billion (£99.8 billion) in 2011, marking a ’year to forget for the funds industry’, according to Morningstar.
UK investors remain bearish on 2012 outlook

26 Jan 2012

Investors are considerably less interested in investing abroad during the first half of 2012, according to the latest findings from CoreData Research.
Pioneer Investments appoints head of Asia and Middle East

26 Jan 2012

Pioneer Investments has appointed Jack W Lin as the group’s head of Asia and Middle East.
Groups find asset growth blunted by outflows

Fund Strategy - 23 Jan 2012

Asset growth tempered by net outflows was the experience of two out of three asset managers that published interim management statements last week.
Invesco portfolio banks on financial institutions

Fund Strategy - 23 Jan 2012

Invesco Perpetual has announced it will launch a Global Financial Capital fund on January 25.
Legacy assets costs "have probably doubled", says Altus

20 Jan 2012

The Financial Services Authority’s (FSA’s) cost benefit analysis (CBA) for the legacy assets paper is an “exercise in denial”, says Altus director Kevin Okell.
JO Hambro re-opens UK equity income fund

20 Jan 2012

JO Hambro Capital Management has re-opened Clive Beagles’ and James Lowen’s UK Equity Income fund after it was soft closed almost a year ago.
Alfi slams Volcker Rule

20 Jan 2012

The Association of the Luxembourg Funds Industry (Alfi) trade body has condemned the Volcker Rule, as it says it discriminates against Ucits funds.
Skandia swaps Kames Capital’s Audrey Ryan for Artemis’ Steer

20 Jan 2012

Skandia Investment Group has awarded Artemis’ Tim Steer two mandates for its best ideas portfolios worth a total of £62m.
CAM discretionary portfolio launched on Skandia platform

20 Jan 2012

City Asset Management (CAM) has launched its unitised discretionary portfolio on the Skandia platform.
Gold a "sensible hedge", says Newton's Stewart

20 Jan 2012

Despite suffering a sizable decline since its September peak, gold remains a sensible hedge, says Newton Investment Management’s Iain Stewart.
Invesco launches financial capital fund for Causer and Read

19 Jan 2012

Invesco Perpetual will launch a global financial capital fund next week, investing in capital securities of banks and other financials for managers Paul Causer and Paul Read.
Parent company acquires outstanding Raymond James stake

19 Jan 2012

Raymond James Financial has taken full ownership of UK joint venture Raymond James Investment Services (RJIS), after buying out stockbroker Killik & Co.
Signia Wealth appoints co-investment chief

19 Jan 2012

Signia Wealth has named Chris Godding as co-chief investment officer and managing director.
Ireland’s trade surplus reaches record high

18 Jan 2012

Ireland’s export industry has continued to strengthen, pushing its trade surplus to record high levels.
Use index funds to track indices not ETFs, says Smith

18 Jan 2012

Index funds are a better way of tracking indices than exchange-traded funds (ETFs) says investment veteran Terry Smith, as he continues to argue against the products.
Gas industry "hot topic" for China in 2012, says Premier's Sung

18 Jan 2012

Weakening demand for Chinese exports will spur the government to invest heavily in the energy sectors, says Premier’s Fen Sung.
UK unemployment rises to highest level since 1994

18 Jan 2012

The number of people out of work in the UK soared to its highest levels since 1994 in the three months ending November, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Criticism intensifies for FSA’s treatment on legacy business

17 Jan 2012

Fidelity FundsNetwork has joined the IMA in urging the FSA to clarify its latest treatment of legacy business.
Little correlation between emerging market growth and returns, says M&G's Vaight

17 Jan 2012

Economic growth translates into lower shareholder returns for emerging market investors, according to M&G’s Matthew Vaight.
Egypt’s $3.2 billion request is ‘encouraging’, says IMF

17 Jan 2012

Egypt’s request for International Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance is “encouraging”, says Fitch Ratings, after it downgraded the country in December 2011.
Russia’s outlook no longer positive, says Fitch

16 Jan 2012

Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed Russia’s credit rating as BBB but no longer considers the country’s outlook to be positive.
Schroder Property appointed to manage £600m

16 Jan 2012

Schroder Property has been appointed to manage investment portfolios with a combined value of £600 million.
Government bonds overvalued, say investment professionals

16 Jan 2012

Government bonds are currently considered to be overvalued by the majority of investment professionals, according to a recent study by the CFA Society.
Hu faced with policy dilemma as inflation falls again

Fund Strategy - 16 Jan 2012

China’s fifth consecutive month of falling inflation rates has raised questions over the direction in which the Chinese government will take the economy in 2012.
Italy and Spain cheered by fall in bond yields

Fund Strategy - 16 Jan 2012

Spain and Italy inspired renewed optimism last week as a series of successful bond auctions saw a much-needed fall in their borrowing costs.
France and Austria reported to face downgrade

13 Jan 2012

France and Austria are due to have their AAA credit ratings cut by Standard and Poor’s (S&P), according to reports.
Cautious Managed tops FundsNetwork sales in December

13 Jan 2012

The Cautious Managed sector was the most popular with users of the Fidelity FundsNetwork platform during December.
Global economy will avoid recession in 2012, says Ignis' Thomson

13 Jan 2012

The global economy will avoid a double-dip recession in 2012, says Stuart Thomson, chief market economist at Ignis.
Eurozone has likely descended back into recession, says BofA ML

13 Jan 2012

Recent data for the eurozone suggests that it has likely descended back into recession, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML).
Spain and Italy report successful bond auctions

12 Jan 2012

Spain and Italy have raised €22 billion at auction between them at reduced yields.
Investor caution boosts money market products, says Lipper

12 Jan 2012

Inflows into money market funds helped the European funds industry to its best performance in six months during November despite continued net outflows, according to Lipper.
Chinese inflation falls to 15-month low

12 Jan 2012

Chinese inflation has eased to its lowest level in over a year, according to the latest official statistics.
Ocean Dial appoints chief executive

11 Jan 2012

Robin Sellers has been appointed chief executive of specialist fund management group Ocean Dial.
Ingenious launches wine fund

11 Jan 2012

Ingenious has today announced the launch of an enterprise investment scheme (EIS) fund designed to target the fine wine market.
Kames Capital expands fixed income team

11 Jan 2012

Kames Capital has today made three new appointments to its fixed income team.
UK trade deficit widens in November

11 Jan 2012

The UK trade deficit widened to £2.6 billion in November, indicating that the fourth quarter GDP results could be worse than anticipated.
Pimco adds two new funds to global equities platform

11 Jan 2012

Pimco has launched two new actively managed sub-funds as part of its Global Investor Series fund range.
German economy grows for second consecutive year

11 Jan 2012

The German economy grew by 3% in 2011, broadly in line with expectations but less so than during 2010.
Barings plans to merge absolute return trust

10 Jan 2012

Baring’s £73.7m Absolute Return Global Bond Trust is to be merged with the £161.4m Multi Asset fund due to ’difficult’ market conditions.
Cautious Managed highest seller in December for Cofunds

10 Jan 2012

The IMA Cautious Managed sector ended 2011 as the highest selling sector, according to the latest industry figures from fund supermarket Cofunds.
Ashcourt Rowan appoints non-executive director

10 Jan 2012

UK wealth management group Ashcourt Rowan has appointed industry veteran Jim Roberts as a non-executive director.
Kestrel expands investment management team

10 Jan 2012

Kestrel Investment Partners has added to its investment management team with the appointment of Stuart Rollason, former fund manager at F&C.
PSigma lowers fees on discretionary investment management service

10 Jan 2012

PSigma Investment Management is relaunching its discretionary investment management service with lower fees.
Investors beginning to diversify ETF exposure

9 Jan 2012

Gold has again seen the largest inflows for commodity exchange-traded products (ETPs) amid signs investors are broadening their commodity exposure, according to ETF Securities.
Net retail sales slump in November, says IMA

9 Jan 2012

The Investment Management Association (IMA) has reported a year-on-year slump in net retail fund sales during November.
Arjent partners with Parmenion for strategic models

9 Jan 2012

Discretionary management platform Parmenion has partnered with investment manager Arjent to launch 10 risk-graded strategic models.
German exports up in November

9 Jan 2012

German exports increased by 2.5% in November to reach €94.9 billion (£78.1 billion), according to the Federal Statistics Office.
UK economy will get worse, say majority of business leaders

9 Jan 2012

The majority of British business leaders predict the UK’s economic situation will get worse over the course of 2012, according to market research agency Ipsos MORI.
New funds, new roles as firms keep up the pace

Fund Strategy - 9 Jan 2012

Activity in the funds industry remained vigorous each side of the Christmas break, as demonstrated by a series of high-profile manager appointments and product launches.
MEPs call for introduction of eurobonds

6 Jan 2012

Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have called for the introduction of eurobonds alongside democratic accountability.
JP Morgan manager shirks fixed income risk

5 Jan 2012

After chalking up a 5% loss in 2011, JP Morgan Asset Management fund manager Talib Sheikh will be staying away from fixed income risk in 2012.
US equities are best asset class in the world, says Legg Mason's Cohen

5 Jan 2012

US equities are currently the best asset class to hold in the world, according to Hersh Cohen, the chief investment officer at ClearBridge Advisors.
Passive strategies lull investors, says Momentum

5 Jan 2012

Passive funds are increasingly luring investors into a sense of false security, according to the latest report from Momentum Global Investment Management.
Eurozone has bigger problems than debt, says Swiss & Global's Angele

5 Jan 2012

The eurozone’s biggest problem is not debt, according to Swiss & Global Asset Management’s Stefan Angele.
Risk assets can now perform well, says JP Morgan’s Gartside

5 Jan 2012

Risk assets have been given some “breathing space” and can perform well, says Nick Gartside, fund manager at JP Morgan Asset Management.
Year of deleveraging ahead, says Iveagh’s Wyllie

4 Jan 2012

The biggest deleveraging story of all is only just beginning, says Chris Wyllie, the chief investment officer for private investment house Iveagh.
FundsNetwork adds Hawksmoor to discretionary management service

4 Jan 2012

Fidelity FundsNetwork has added Hawksmoor as the first regional discretionary fund manager to its discretionary management service.
EU inflation drops but remains above target

4 Jan 2012

Euro area inflation fell during December but remains at levels above the central bank’s official target, according to the latest data.
Signia Wealth appoints managing director

4 Jan 2012

Signia Wealth has appointed Martin O’Hare as managing director and head of investment solutions.
Aberdeen Asset Management appoints analyst

4 Jan 2012

Aberdeen Asset Management has appointed Sonja Tilly as an analyst on its multi-manager team.
BlackRock pick Exxon Mobil receives reduced compensation

3 Jan 2012

State-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) has confirmed it will only pay out a fraction of the compensation owed to Exxon Mobil.
Lead managers for latest EFSF issuance announced

3 Jan 2012

Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and Société Générale have been appointed lead managers on the next European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) bond issue.
European recession wouldn’t harm US economy, says Brown Advisory

3 Jan 2012

The European crisis will not have a drastic impact on US corporates, says Paul Chew, head of investments at Brown Advisory.
Largest debt redemption since crisis to hit Europe, says Fitch

3 Jan 2012

The largest volume of European commercial mortgage-backed securities since the financial crisis are due to mature this month, says Fitch.
Vinculum launches first fund

3 Jan 2012

Former Liontrust boss Nigel Legge’s new venture Vinculum Funds has launched with its first fund, the IM Vinculum Global Equity fund.
UK economy needs rebalancing, says CBI

30 Dec 2011

The UK economy is “highly reliant” on household consumption and needs rebalancing, warns the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index closes at 29-year low for 2011

30 Dec 2011

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index has closed for the year at its lowest level since 1982.
Protectionism could pose problems, says Schroders

30 Dec 2011

Economic protectionism is moving back on to the agenda, spelling out potential problems for foreign exchange markets and industrial production, according to Schroders.
Partial break-up of euro “inevitable” in 2012, says Leach

28 Dec 2011

An “inevitable” partial break-up of the eurozone and a possible return to former currencies could be on the cards in 2012, says Jeremy Leach, managing director of MPL.
Overnight deposit rates reflect missing confidence, says Cheviot's Miller

28 Dec 2011

Record high overnight deposits reported by the European Central Bank (ECB) are no surprise given the serious lack of confidence in the banking sector, says Cheviot Asset Management’s David Miller.
Japanese production drops in November

28 Dec 2011

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has described industrial production as “flat”.
IMA backs sub-fund ring-fencing

21 Dec 2011

The Investment Management Association (IMA) has come out in support of the protected cell regime for Oeics, which ring-fences sub-funds.
Standard Life launches smaller companies fund

21 Dec 2011

Standard Life Investments has announced the launch of a Global Smaller Companies fund to be managed by Harry Nimmo and Alan Rowsell.
Ireland’s investment fund industry reaches three-year high

21 Dec 2011

The investment fund industry in Ireland saw assets grow by almost 30% over the course of the year.
Federal Reserve proposes stronger regulations

21 Dec 2011

The US Federal Reserve has proposed stronger regulatory measures for the US banking system.
Henderson Far East Income sells £3.5m of portfolio

20 Dec 2011

The Henderson Far East Income investment trust sold out of seven positions between September and November, resulting in a net disinvestment of £3.5m.
Fitch awards “strong” rating to Henderson fund

20 Dec 2011

Fitch Ratings has assigned a ‘strong’ fund quality rating to the offshore Henderson Horizon Global Property Equities fund.
UK investors “most content”, says Schroders

20 Dec 2011

UK investors are the most content in Europe when it comes to investment decisions, according to research carried out by Schroders.
Standard Life appoints head of platform distribution

20 Dec 2011

Standard Life has appointed Jason Tunbridge as its head of platform distribution.
Neuberger Berman launches high yield bond fund

20 Dec 2011

Neuberger Berman has launched an offshore short-duration, high yield bond fund.
Specialist sectors proved resilient in 2011, says the AIC

19 Dec 2011

Investment trusts in the specialist sectors were among the best perfomers during 2011, according to trade body the Association of Investment Companies (AIC).
Avoid retreating into safe havens, says Barclays Wealth

19 Dec 2011

Investors are advised to avoid retreating into ‘safe haven assets’ and instead focus on diversification and risk assets, says Kevin Gardiner, head of global strategy at Barclays Wealth.
Russell Investments launches multi-asset fund

19 Dec 2011

Russell Investments has added to its OpenWorld range with the launch of a multi-asset fund with a primary focus of preserving capital.
Vanguard names chief European economist

19 Dec 2011

Vanguard has appointed Peter Westaway as its chief European economist.
Europe will start 2012 in recession, predicts BofA

16 Dec 2011

Bank of America (BofA) forecasts that Europe will slip into a recession this quarter, forcing unemployment rates higher.
Aviva launches growth structured product

16 Dec 2011

Aviva Investors has launched a new growth fund that will focus on securities and derivatives from six financial institutions.
India holds interest rates

16 Dec 2011

The Reserve Bank of India has elected to keep interest rates at 8.5% following 13 increases in 2011.
Fitch downgrades six major banks

16 Dec 2011

The sensitivity of the banking system to the increased challenges presented by the financial crisis has lead Fitch Ratings to downgrade six major banks.
EU employment situation faces headwinds in third quarter

15 Dec 2011

The number of employed persons in the euro area declined by 0.1% in the third quarter, according to preliminary findings from the European Union.
Skandia awards £100m mandate to Du Pont Capital

15 Dec 2011

Skandia Investment Group has awarded a £100m mandate to Du Pont Capital.
First State appoints portfolio manager

15 Dec 2011

First State has appointed Tal Lomnitzer as a portfolio manager in the global resources team.
Old Mutual makes management changes

15 Dec 2011

Old Mutual Group has confirmed the appointment of new additions to the senior operational management team.
Lloyds confirms preferred buyer as part of Project Verde

14 Dec 2011

Lloyds Banking Group has confirmed the Co-Operative as the preferred buyer for a number of its banking branches.
EFSF cannot meet peripheral nation requirements

14 Dec 2011

Europe’s bailout fund cannot meet Spanish and Italian funding costs, says L&G economist Tim Drayson.
Lloyds announces return of Horta-Osório

14 Dec 2011

Lloyds Banking Group has announced that António Horta-Osório will return as the group’s chief executive in 2012.
Emerging market debt could recover fastest, says Legg Mason

14 Dec 2011

Credit markets have “overshot on the downside”, says Ian Edmonds, the manager of the £516m Legg Mason Global Multi Strategy Bond fund.
Whitefoord renames Absolute Return fund

14 Dec 2011

Discretionary manager Whitefoord has changed the name of its £20m Absolute Return fund to better reflect its investment style.
EM equities was worst major asset class in 2011

14 Dec 2011

Emerging market equities was the worst performing asset class in 2011, according to research performed by HSBC.
Outflows reach €19.7 billion during October, says Lipper

14 Dec 2011

European funds saw outflows of €19.7 billion (£16.57 billion) during October, according to research released by Lipper.
Further M&A activity in Asian oil and gas sector to come, says Fitch

14 Dec 2011

Strong mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the Asian oil and gas sector will continue into 2012, according to Fitch Ratings.
Federal Reserve reaffirms commitment to Operation Twist

14 Dec 2011

The US Federal Reserve has opted to keep interest rates at record lows and pledged to continue with Operation Twist.
Government policy changes will burden investors, says Witan's Bell

13 Dec 2011

Changes to rules on pensions and higher education funding will place a greater burden on families and individuals, warns Witan Investment Trust chief executive Andrew Bell.
Bank’s chief economist uncertain about meeting inflation targets

13 Dec 2011

Not all of the UK’s disappointing growth in 2011 can be attributed to the sovereign debt crisis, says the Bank of England’s (BoE’s) chief economist.
Investors preparing for poor 2012, says BofA ML

13 Dec 2011

Investor sentiment resembles that of the “credit crunch months of early 2009”, according to December’s fund manager survey from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
S&P Capital IQ re-classifies asset allocation peer group

13 Dec 2011

S&P Capital IQ is re-classifying its asset allocation peer groups in an attempt to provide greater clarity and consistency of definitions.
Fitch revises down global growth expectations

12 Dec 2011

Fitch Ratings predicts the economic growth of advanced economies to slow to 1.3% in 2011 and 1.2% in 2012.
First State strengthens global equities team

12 Dec 2011

First State Investments has made two appointments to its global equities team.
More income-themed investment trusts launched in 2011, says AIC

12 Dec 2011

Considerably fewer investment trusts were launched in 2011, the majority of which had strong income themes, according to the Association of Investment Companies (AIC).
Legg Mason fund favours EM debt

Fund Strategy - 12 Dec 2011

Credit markets have “overshot on the downside”, says Ian Edmonds, the manager of the £516m Legg Mason Global Multi Strategy Bond fund.
Fitch affirms Schroders’ asset management rating

9 Dec 2011

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Schroders’ M1 Asset Management rating.
Omam hands corporate bond fund to Johnson

9 Dec 2011

Old Mutual Asset Managers (Omam) has appointed Christine Johnson as manager of the £520m Old Mutual Corporate Bond fund.
European debt crisis is “three in one” says Fidelity’s Greetham

9 Dec 2011

The sovereign debt crisis amounts to “three crises in one”, says Fidelity’s Trevor Greetham.
Euro-dollar basis swap spreads nearing crisis levels, says Moody's

8 Dec 2011

Euro-dollar basis swap spreads have widened to levels unseen since the start of the financial crisis, says Moody’s.
Bilfinger Berger targets £212m for closed-end launch

7 Dec 2011

Close-ended investment company Bilfinger Berger Global Infrastructure is aiming to raise £212m through the issuance of ordinary shares.
Acorn proposes zero dividend share class

7 Dec 2011

The Acorn Income fund plans to issue zero dividend shares in order to cover a severed credit line from Royal Bank of Scotland.
Old Mutual’s Lilley to take over European Equity fund

6 Dec 2011

Kevin Lilley is to begin running Old Mutual Asset Managers European Equity fund next week, as the first solo manager to run the fund in seven years.
Government proposes changes to Reit regulations

6 Dec 2011

The government has announced changes to the real estate investment trust (Reit) regime, designed to remove barriers to entry and facilitate increased investment.
Ian Meredith to leave Cofunds

5 Dec 2011

Ian Meredith, regional head of sales at Cofunds, is stepping down after seven years with the firm.
Scottish Investment Trust considers futures selling

5 Dec 2011

The Scottish Investment Trust has reported a rise in income, as share prices have fallen and dividends increased.
Threadneedle’s outlook more pessimistic than OECD’s

5 Dec 2011

GDP growth worldwide will be more subdued than the OECD’s latest predictions, says Threadneedle.
Counter action required on US cuts

Fund Strategy - 5 Dec 2011

Risks to global markets will increase if governments do not act to counter a programme of strong fiscal tightening in America, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned.
Monthly inflows higher, but still below average

Fund Strategy - 5 Dec 2011

?Net retail fund sales in October were “significantly down” on the monthly average, led by increased outflows from the UK smaller companies sector, according to the IMA.
IMA proposals “too restrictive”, says Skandia's Hughes

2 Dec 2011

The Investment Management Association’s (IMA’s) proposal to base fund comparisons on risk data is too restrictive, according to Skandia.
Premier Asset Management proposes fund changes

1 Dec 2011

Premier Asset Management has proposed changes to four of its funds, subject to shareholder approval, at the next extraordinary general meeting.
Inflation is no longer investors’ biggest concern, says M&G

1 Dec 2011

The sovereign debt crisis and market volatility are now the most prominent causes for concern among investors, according to a survey conducted by M&G Investments.
France and Spain report strong demand following bond auction

1 Dec 2011

France and Spain have both reported strong demand following government bond auctions early this morning.
China’s manufacturing PMI shrinks for the first time since 2009

1 Dec 2011

China’s purchasing manager’s index (PMI) contracted for the first time since early 2009 during November.
QPortfolios launch set for next week

30 Nov 2011

Investment specialist Alan Kirkham is preparing to launch two investment portfolios designed around “Quaker principles”.
Deutsche Bank and Omega Partners to launch new fund

30 Nov 2011

Deutsche Bank and Omega Advisors have announced plans to launch a new Ucits fund on the bank’s platform this December.
HSBC launches new frontier markets fund

30 Nov 2011

HSBC Global Asset Management has launched a long-only frontier markets equity portfolio.
Euro area unemployment reaches record levels

30 Nov 2011

Unemployment in the eurozone has soared to a record high, according to the EU statistics service Eurostat.
Natixis launches US equity fund

30 Nov 2011

Natixis Global Associates has today announced the launch of a large- and mid-cap US equities fund for UK investors.
Parmenion and Sarasin & Partners launch portfolio range

30 Nov 2011

Discretionary management platform Parmenion has teamed up with Sarasin & Partners to launch a range of investment portfolios.
Indxis launches new index platform

29 Nov 2011

Indxis has launched a new index platform, allowing companies to customise calculations in-house.
Statement 2011: We are already on Plan B, says RLAM's Kernohan

29 Nov 2011

The Chancellor’s autumn statement represents a “significant alteration in the government’s economic and political strategy,” says Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) economist Ian Kernohan.
Statement 2011: Small business owners urged to seek financial advice

29 Nov 2011

Small business owners are being urged to seek financial advice in order to make the most of the government’s proposals today.
Statement 2011: ABI backs infrastructure bonds proposal

29 Nov 2011

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has said it wants to work with the UK government in developing infrastructure bonds as part of the National Infrastructure Plan.
Statement 2011: More financial hardship for families, says Money Advice Trust

29 Nov 2011

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR’s) revised forecast means families will continue struggling with finances for some considerable time, according to the Money Advice Trust.
Fund sales remained subdued in October, says IMA

29 Nov 2011

Retail fund sales in October were “significantly down” on the monthly average, led by increased outflows from the UK smaller companies sector, reports the Investment Management Assocation (IMA).
US downgrade in 2013, warns Fitch

29 Nov 2011

Fitch Ratings has given the US a negative outlook after the failure of the Congressional Joint Select Committee.
King defends inflation target

28 Nov 2011

Any attempt to bring inflation down to the Bank of England’s target of 2% would have made the economic situation worse, according to Bank of England governor Mervyn King.
Scottish Life expands investment fund range

28 Nov 2011

Scottish Life has added 10 funds to its investment fund range, taking the number of available funds to 141.
G2AM hires Roger Mortimer

28 Nov 2011

Generation Asset Management (G2AM) has hired Roger Mortimer as the firm’s director of business development.
Eurozone requires urgent actions, says OECD

28 Nov 2011

The euro area economy is in danger of being tipped into a recession that monetary policy is unable to counter, says the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
BCC downgrades UK GDP estimate

28 Nov 2011

The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has downgraded its prediction for UK GDP growth in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Equity funds dominate new launch statistics, says Lipper

28 Nov 2011

The number of new fund launches increased by 10% between the first quarter and the third quarter of 2011, according to the latest Lipper statistics.
All EU sovereign ratings potentially at risk, warns Moody’s

28 Nov 2011

The rapid escalation of the sovereign debt crisis is threatening the credit rating of all European sovereign nations, warns Moody’s Investors Service.
Manager warns of bubble in ‘safe haven’ assets

Fund Strategy - 28 Nov 2011

So called “safe-haven” assets are being pushed into bubble-like territory, according to Patrick Armstrong, a joint managing partner at Armstrong Investment Managers.
Pictet set to open Asia fund to British investors

Fund Strategy - 28 Nov 2011

Pictet Asset Management is to launch a sterling share class for its Asia excluding Japan long/short equity fund.
JPM alters equity income fund’s currency hedging options

25 Nov 2011

JP Morgan AM is changing its Global Equity Income fund to enable both hedged and unhedged share classes.
Bank hints at further QE

25 Nov 2011

The Bank of England has hinted at further rounds of quantitative easing (QE) on the assumption that inflation will come in under target over the next two to three years.
Bestinvest suspends Miller's Value Trust rating

24 Nov 2011

The Legg Mason Capital Management Value Trust has seen its rating suspended by Bestinvest after Bill Miller announced he is to step down as the fund’s manager.
Portugal downgraded to junk status

24 Nov 2011

Portugal’s credit rating has been downgraded to junk status with a negative outlook by Fitch Ratings.
IMA warns on potential damage to UK equity market

24 Nov 2011

Asset managers run clients’ money with a long-term view rather than being motivated by immediate incentives, the Investment Management Association (IMA) has told an independent review.
German bund auction “shocking”, says Fidelity’s Simner

24 Nov 2011

Wednesday’s failed bund auction was nothing short of “shocking”, says David Simner, the manager of the Fidelity Funds Euro Bond fund.
Pictet to launch sterling share class for Asia ex-Japan fund

24 Nov 2011

Pictet Asset Management is to launch a sterling share class for its Asia ex-Japan long/short equity fund.
US small-cap fund ups asset manager and industrial exposure

23 Nov 2011

Lauren Romeo, manager of the Legg Mason US Smaller Companies fund, has increased the fund’s exposure to asset managers and industrials, citing lower valuations.
“We are not bearish on Europe,” says Henderson’s Casson

23 Nov 2011

Investors waiting for the catalyst to a European recovery are going to be left empty handed, warns Henderson’s Paul Casson.
Asian companies not at risk from eurozone contagion, says Fitch

23 Nov 2011

The potential impact of the European sovereign debt crisis on the Asian corporate sector is said to “manageable” according to Fitch Ratings.
Pictet Asset Management bets on global contagion

23 Nov 2011

The Pictet Global Long/Short Credit fund has taken a short position in South Africa and predicts contagion will spread further to Mexico, Singapore and Korea.
Baby boomers will be hit hardest by inflation, says M&G’s Doyle

22 Nov 2011

If inflation rates are maintained, the “baby boomer” generation can expect to find a purchasing power of £100 decrease to £49.86 by 2024, according to M&G.
US money market funds slash European bank exposure

22 Nov 2011

US prime money market funds (MMFs) have continued to shed exposure to European banks throughout October, according to Fitch Ratings.
AIC offers free online RDR training

22 Nov 2011

The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) is offering advisers free online training in the run-up to retail distribution review (RDR) implementation.
Fears over high impact event at new peak, says BoE

22 Nov 2011

Private sector fears over a high impact event hitting the UK financial system are at their highest levels ever, according to the Bank of England (BoE).
UK imposes financial restrictions against Iran

21 Nov 2011

The UK government has utilised new powers to entirely cut off a foreign power’s banking sector from its own for the first time ever.
Investors shunning synthetic ETFs, says Morningstar

21 Nov 2011

More investors are choosing physically-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) compared with their synthetic-based counterparts, according to the latest research from Morningstar.
Alliance Trust launches fund for Di Bon

18 Nov 2011

Alliance Trust Asset Management has confirmed plans to launch the Global Thematic Opportunities fund in December for Ilario Di Bon, head of global equities.
Greece sucked into a monetary black hole, says Lombard Street

18 Nov 2011

Greece could still face a total banking collapse, even while remaining in the European monetary union, warns Lombard Street Research.
Top Hambro pick increases bid for uranium company

18 Nov 2011

Mining company Rio Tinto has increased its offer to acquire all of uranium exploration company Hathor Exploration Limited’s common shares.
Cameron to meet Merkel over sovereign debt crisis

18 Nov 2011

Prime Minister David Cameron will meet with German chancellor Angela Merkel later today to discuss the sovereign debt crisis.
Italy faces "low investment grade" downgrade

17 Nov 2011

Italy’s sovereign debt rating may be downgraded to a low investment grade category, warns Fitch Ratings.
US initial unemployment claims at seven month low

17 Nov 2011

Applications for first time unemployment benefits fell to a seven month low in the US last week as the jobs market showed signs of making a shaky recovery.
Indian inflation rates becoming "a serious concern"

17 Nov 2011

Tight monetary policy is leading to a slowdown in India’s investment activity warns the Reserve Bank’s Technical Advisory Committee.
Japan leads OECD area growth

17 Nov 2011

Strong growth in Japan - which rose by 0.6% during the third quarter, according to the latest data - has had a positive effect on GDP in the OECD area,
Consumer confidence hits new lows

17 Nov 2011

Consumer confidence in the UK sunk to a new all-time low in October, according to the Nationwide Consumer Confidence index.
IMF director resigns

17 Nov 2011

Antonio Borges, director of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) European department, has resigned for ‘personal reasons’.
T Rowe Price launches European high yield bond strategy

16 Nov 2011

T Rowe Price has today launched a European high yield bond strategy, specialising in securities rated “BB” and “B”.
Fixing eurozone won’t fix the problem, says Lombard Street

16 Nov 2011

A solution to the eurozone crisis wouldn’t be enough to solve the underlying problems the global economy faces, according to Lombard Street Research.
All asset classes record large outflows in September, says Efama

16 Nov 2011

Investors continue to lose confidence amid the sovereign debt crisis as outflows from all asset classes soared in September.
Morningstar launches new scale for fund ratings

16 Nov 2011

Morningstar has today launched its new global scale for qualitative fund ratings.
Bank of Japan leaves rates unchanged

16 Nov 2011

The Bank of Japan has elected to keep rates at their current level of between 0% and 0.1% after the economy was shown to have grown for the first time in over a year.
Majority of banks offering poor investment advice, says Which?

16 Nov 2011

An undercover investigation by consumer watchdog Which? has discovered a number of bank and building society advisors are giving inappropriate investment advice.
Gam expands multi-manager team

15 Nov 2011

Gam has appointed Anthony Lawler to both the senior and investment management committees of its multi-manager group.
Eurozone trade surplus surges

15 Nov 2011

The eurozone’s trade surplus with the rest of the world has surged, largely due to a decline in imports.
Kames Capital hires fixed income manager

15 Nov 2011

Kames Capital has appointed Greg Mackay to its fixed income team.
Leaving the EU is not in our national interest, says Cameron

15 Nov 2011

Old assumptions about Europe are collapsing, Prime Minister David Cameron told attendees at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet.
Germany and France report GDP growth

15 Nov 2011

The eurozone’s two largest economies, Germany and France, have both recorded GDP growth for the third quarter of 2011.
Write downs by private creditors will end crisis, says BlackRock

14 Nov 2011

Private creditor write downs of 75% to 80% are required to end the sovereign debt crisis, according to BlackRock.
Fidelity weighs up Japan opportunities

14 Nov 2011

The recent market volatility has created a number of stock picking oppportunities in Japan, according to Fidelity Worldwide Investment.
Cofunds board denies reports of selling business

14 Nov 2011

Cofunds has denied reports that it is in negotiations to sell off the business.
Tisa concludes investigation into distribution funds

14 Nov 2011

The Tax Incentivised Savings Association (Tisa) has concluded its review of the distribution funds sector.
Greek and Italian bond yields break records

14 Nov 2011

Greek 10-year government bond yields have reached a new record high of 28.45%.
Protean launches gilt-backed bond

14 Nov 2011

Protean Investments has launched a six-year gilt-backed bond which aims to shield investors from rising inflation and the possibility of a company default.
Japanese GDP grows for the first time since Q3 2010

14 Nov 2011

Japan’s GDP has grown for the first time in over a year, fuelling reports that a national economic recovery is underway.
Liontrust to launch Asia and emerging markets funds

14 Nov 2011

Liontrust Asset Management is to launch funds for Asia and emerging markets teams, having identified these as key growth areas in its first half results.
Mario Monti prepares to form new Italian government

14 Nov 2011

Mario Monti, former European commissioner, will lead a new Italian government following the departure of Silvio Berlusconi over the weekened.
Britain revealed as meanest for real bond yields

Fund Strategy - 14 Nov 2011

Britain has become the global leader in the financial repression of government creditors, according to Enzo Puntillo, the head of fixed income at Swiss & Global.
Illiquidity drives up EM lending margins, says Cordiant

11 Nov 2011

The reluctance of Western banks to provide liquidity to emerging markets has lead to loan margins exceeding pre-crisis levels, says Cordiant Capital.
‘Nimble investors’ to benefit from European equities exposure

11 Nov 2011

Nimble equity investors can expect buying opportunities to emerge as a consequence of the ongoing sovereign debt crisis, says Sam Hart, analyst at Charles Stanley.
Italian market pressures ease ahead of austerity vote

11 Nov 2011

Italian market pressures are easing ahead of a crucial austerity package vote that could lead to the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi.
Schroders forecasts serious recession for eurozone

10 Nov 2011

The eurozone could be set for a serious recession in 2012 as politicians miss the chance to prevent another credit crunch, according to Schroders European economist Azad Zangana.
Chinese consumption estimated to increase five-fold before 2020

10 Nov 2011

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has praised China’s efforts to reorientate the economy towards domestic consumption as private consumption estimates soar.
Lucas Papademos is the next prime minister of Greece

10 Nov 2011

Lucas Papademos has been officially named as the next prime minister of Greece and will lead the unity government.
American Century Investments launches US All Cap Growth fund

10 Nov 2011

American Century Investments has launched the American Century US All Cap Growth fund, which will focus on companies with improving business fundamentals.
UK is global leader in financial repression, says Swiss & Global

10 Nov 2011

The UK has become the global leader in the financial repression of government debt yields, according to Swiss & Global’s Enzo Puntillo.
‘Antiquated’ Bank of England needs reforming, says select committee

8 Nov 2011

Where public money is at risk, the Chancellor should be granted the power to direct the Bank of England, says Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee.
Italian oil stocks "dependable", says Henderson’s Stevenson

7 Nov 2011

Italy’s troubles may be mounting but there are still a number of dependable stocks, according to Tim Stevenson manager of the £107m Henderson EuroTrust.
Investors consider new products despite low confidence, says IMA

7 Nov 2011

Investors are still prepared to expand their portfolios even though confidence is slipping, the Investment Management Association (IMA) has revealed.
FSA failures not my fault, says Sants

Fund Strategy - 7 Nov 2011

Hector Sants, the chief executive of the FSA, last week denied responsibility for any of the regulatory failures that affected consumers during his time in charge.
Oil importers seeking $50bn in foreign cash

Fund Strategy - 7 Nov 2011

Oil-importing Middle East and North Africa (Mena) nations face a battle to find more than $50 billion (£31 billion) in foreign financing next year in the wake of the Arab Spring, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says.
Robin Hood Tax would cripple UK economy, says Adam Smith Institute

4 Nov 2011

The Adam Smith Institute has warned that a financial transactions tax “would cripple the British economy” after European leaders vowed to press on with plans to implement it.
Fidelity adds emerging markets fund to FAST range

4 Nov 2011

Fidelity Worldwide Investment has added an emerging markets fund to its Fidelity Active Strategy (FAST) range, to be managed by Nick Price.
CA Cheuvreux invites Warren Buffet to invest in Europe

4 Nov 2011

CA Cheuvreux has issued an open letter to billionaire investor Warren Buffet, asking him to invest in “Europe’s undervalued sector champions”.
Japan fund favourite Toyota cuts production after Thai flooding

4 Nov 2011

Japanese equity fund favourite Toyota has been forced to extend production halts and slash output hours as a result of the flooding in Thailand.
Greek euro referendum scrapped

3 Nov 2011

The Greek government has scrapped plans to hold a referendum on the country’s bailout and membership of the eurozone.
Mena nations could need more than $50 billion, says IMF

3 Nov 2011

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that oil-importing Middle East and North Africa (Mena) nations will need substantial foreign financing next year.
Ashmore launches two new equity funds

3 Nov 2011

FTSE 100-listed asset manager Ashmore Investment Management has added two emerging market equity funds to its Sicav range.
Old Mutual sees drop in sales

3 Nov 2011

Old Mutual has seen falls in gross sales and funds under management for its wealth management business during the third quarter.
Architas adds new fund to Protector range

2 Nov 2011

Architas is expanding its Protector range with the addition of the Architas Multi-Manager Diversified Protector 85 fund.
Greece must leave euro, says Milburn

2 Nov 2011

The sovereign debt crisis will be solved by witholding funds from Greece and ejecting them from the euro, says Kames Capital fund manager Phillip Milburn.
German unemployment rises for first time since 2010

2 Nov 2011

German unemployment figures have increased for the first time since January 2010, according to Germany’s Federal Employment Agency.
Fundsmith launches Sicav feeder fund

2 Nov 2011

Fundsmith has become the first UK fund management company to launch a regulated Sicav feeder fund, based in Luxembourg.
Property sector showing signs of recovery, say trust managers

2 Nov 2011

The property sector is regaining popularity among investors, according to research by investment trust trade body the Association of Investment Companies (AIC).
Third-quarter fund sales plunge to lowest since 2008

1 Nov 2011

Fund sales in the third quarter were the lowest since 2008, IMA has revealed. Net retail sales were £2.6 billion in the third quarter, compared with £7.5 billion in the same period last year. Funds under management fell 3% to £546.7m.
Treasuries beat stocks for first time since US Civil War

31 Oct 2011

Returns on long-dated US Treasuries have exceeded those on the S&P 500, over the past 30 years, for the first time since 1861.
Ingenious launches two enterprise investment schemes

31 Oct 2011

Ingenious has unveiled two enterprise investment schemes (EIS) through the firm’s clean energy division.
Novia adds GHC funds

31 Oct 2011

GHC Fund Management’s Resilient range of Oeics is now available on the Novia platform.
Edict ‘threatens’ European managers

31 Oct 2011

The implementation of the third European Union (EU) Capital Requirements Directive III (CRD III) places Europe’s asset managers at a disadvantage in global markets, according to respondents to PricewaterhouseCoopers’s (PwC) Asset Management Reward Survey 2011.
Spanish central bank predicts zero growth for Q3

31 Oct 2011

The Central Bank of Spain has predicted that GDP growth in the third quarter could prove non-existent.
Octopus adds two funds to discretionary range

31 Oct 2011

Octopus Investments has added two funds to its discretionary portfolio management range Octopus Portfolio Manager.
Threadneedle poaches Martin Currie’s Robson

31 Oct 2011

Threadneedle Investments has appointed Neil Robson as fund manager in its global equities team.
Invista appoints new investment manager

31 Oct 2011

The board of Invista Foundation Property Trust is to terminate its investment management agreement with Invista Real Estate Investment Management (IREIM).
Investors move back into high yield

31 Oct 2011

The eurozone summit agreement, coupled with better than anticipated US growth figures, has encouraged investors to return to high yield bond funds, according to data provider EPFR.
Bank of England review "not necessary" following Northern Rock

31 Oct 2011

A review into the Bank of England during the Northern Rock crisis was deemed “not necessary” by Sir David Lees, the chairman of the Court of the Bank of England.
Edict ‘threatens’ European managers

Fund Strategy - 31 Oct 2011

The implementation of the third European Union (EU) Capital Requirements Directive III (CRD III) places Europe’s asset managers at a disadvantage in global markets, according to respondents to PricewaterhouseCoopers’s (PwC) Asset Management Reward Survey 2011.
Third-quarter fund sales plunge to lowest since 2008

Fund Strategy - 31 Oct 2011

Fund sales in the third quarter were the lowest since 2008, IMA has revealed. Net retail sales were £2.6 billion in the third quarter, compared with £7.5 billion in the same period last year. Funds under management fell 3% to £546.7m.
Lucky number seven billion

28 Oct 2011

News that the human race will be joined by its seven billionth member has sparked another flurry of panic as we eye up our remaining resources.
L&G restructures property management team

28 Oct 2011

Legal & General Property is to restructure its senior management team to support business growth.
M&G announces Junior ISA offering

28 Oct 2011

M&G Investments has become the latest asset manager to unveil plans to launch a Junior ISA (individual savings account).
Efama nears fund classification consensus

28 Oct 2011

The European Fund and Asset Management Association (Efama) has announced it is nearing a complete fund classification structure.
Fund sales at lowest levels since financial crisis

27 Oct 2011

Fund sales in the third quarter were the lowest since 2008, the Investment Management Association (IMA) reveals.
HSBC launches renminbi fixed income fund

27 Oct 2011

HSBC Global Asset Management has launched a renminbi fixed income fund, run by Cecilia Chan, the head of the group’s Asian fixed income team.
German parliament backs EFSF increase

26 Oct 2011

The German parliament has voted in favour of strengthening the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) fund.
Gold climbs to one month high ahead of eurozone summit

26 Oct 2011

The spot price of gold has risen to its highest level in over a month, ahead of today’s European leaders’ summit to discuss the debt crisis.
US consumer confidence sinks, investor confidence returns

25 Oct 2011

Consumer confidence in the US has sunk to its lowest level in two and a half years, according to the Conference Board.
Pictet Digital Communication manager ups China exposure

25 Oct 2011

Pictet Asset Management’s Digital Communication fund has increased exposure to Chinese equities after suffering 50% write-downs during September.
PM makes economic case against referendum

24 Oct 2011

Prime Minister David Cameron has resisted calls from backbench MPs to hold a referendum on Britain’s role in the European Union (EU).
iShares launches EM-focused ETF

24 Oct 2011

iShares has launched its MSCI ACWI exchange-traded fund (ETF), a global equity listed-tracker fund with a focus on emerging markets.
TSC concerned by regulation impact on liquidity

24 Oct 2011

Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Treasury select committee (TSC), has expressed concerns that post-crisis regulatory actions are affecting bank liquidity and the wider recovery.
RLAM announces property promotions

18 Oct 2011

Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) has announced two promotions from within its property team.
Fund managers remain optimistic on dividend payments

18 Oct 2011

UK equity income managers predict dividend payments will improve after three years of falling income distribution, according to Standard & Poor’s (S&P) research.
Investors warned on missing out on gold upswing

18 Oct 2011

Investors who hesitate from entering the gold sector will miss out on a coming upswing, says Junior Gold fund adviser Angelos Damaskos.
FundsNetwork makes Ingenious appointment

18 Oct 2011

Ingenious Asset Management has become the second manager named by Fidelity FundsNetwork to offer risk rated model portfolios.
UK inflation jumps to 5.2%

18 Oct 2011

The UK’s consumer prices index (CPI) inflation rate rose faster than anticipated in September, jumping to 5.2%, from 4.5% in August.
Moody’s warns France on losing Aaa rating

18 Oct 2011

Rating agency Moody’s has warned that France may be the next nation at risk of losing its Aaa debt rating.
Chinese growth slows in the third quarter

18 Oct 2011

Chinese growth slowed to 9.1% during the third quarter according to the latest GDP figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.
US industrial production grows in September

17 Oct 2011

Industrial production in the US grew by 0.2% in September, recovering from August’s disappointing 0% growth.
Opportunities for Asia stock pickers, says L&G’s Hilsley

17 Oct 2011

Now is the time for Asia investors to separate the wheat from the chaff, says Paul Hilsley, Legal & General Asian Income fund manager.
Fee transparency concerns European investors, says Fidelity

17 Oct 2011

Transparency of fees is the most critical issue among European investors, according to the latest survey by Fidelity Investor Trust.
Signia Wealth appoints executive director

17 Oct 2011

Signia Wealth has appointed Etienne de Merlis as an executive director. He will work alongside Gautam Batra, Signa Wealth chief investment officer.
Hong Kong offers gold trading in yuan

17 Oct 2011

The Chinese Gold & Silver Exchange Society has announced a world first by offering gold trading denominated in yuan.
Small-cap specialist Williams launches "Slow Finance"

17 Oct 2011

Smaller companies manager Gervais Williams argues that successful investors will move towards bottom-up stock-picking, in his first book.
Inflation continues to climb in eurozone

14 Oct 2011

Inflation rates in the eurozone are continuing to accelerate, according to the latest data from Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical office.
UK labour market likely to get worse, says BofA ML

14 Oct 2011

Further deterioration of the UK labour market is to come, says Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML).
Foreign investors 'critical' in funding US housing market

13 Oct 2011

Foreign investors currently hold more than $1 trillion (£600 billion) in US mortgage backed securities (MBS), industry trade group Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (Sifma) has revealed
Private sector involvement risks stability of euro

13 Oct 2011

The European Central Bank has issued a warning that private sector involvement in eurozone bailouts could destabilise the entire currency bloc.
QE could make things worse, says Mott

13 Oct 2011

The latest round of quantative easing (QE) will do little to help economic recovery and could make things worse, says Bill Mott, the manager of the £362.6m Psigma Income fund.
Swip hires five new managers

13 Oct 2011

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip) has appointed five new investment managers to its real estate team.
Tax reforms can address unemployment, says OECD

12 Oct 2011

Tax reforms are needed to address surging unemployment figures, said the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Industrial production in euro area beats forecasts

12 Oct 2011

Industrial production in the euro area exceeded expectations in August as it increased by 1.2%.
Greece will receive next tranche, says troika

11 Oct 2011

Greece should be entitled to its next €8 billion tranche (£7 billion) in November, according to representatives from the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund - the so-called troika.
Unemployment in OECD ‘stable’

11 Oct 2011

Unemployment rates in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and euro areas are continuing to stabilise, according to the latest figures from the organisation.
BCC calls for credit easing after disappointing UK manufacturing figures

11 Oct 2011

The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has called for credit easing plans to help small- and medium-sized businesses following disappointing manufacturing data.
Investors should brace for tough quarter, says Merrill Lynch

11 Oct 2011

Following the worst quarter for equities in three years, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management says investors should prepare for a similarly poor final quarter of the year.
Euro fund outflows “worst since October 2008”, says Lipper

11 Oct 2011

Redemptions from European mutual funds in August were at the highest levels since October 2008, research from Lipper has revealed today.
Perception of small companies is far from reality, says Invesco

10 Oct 2011

Global smaller companies have had the highest average returns over the past 80 years, according to research by Invesco Perpetual.
Fees rise for retail investors, says Lipper

10 Oct 2011

During the past ten years, more than 150 funds have hiked their annual management fees, according to the latest research by fund data provider Lipper.
Sector labels won’t convey risks, says Skandia survey

10 Oct 2011

The majority of advisors are against relabelling the Active, Balanced and Cautious IMA sectors, according to a survey by Skandia.
Jupiter's Gibbs to focus on absolute return

Fund Strategy - 10 Oct 2011

Philip Gibbs, a financials fund manager at Jupiter, is to step down from running his remaining financials funds and focus solely on running products that target an absolute return.
New BlackRock fund set to take on more risk

Fund Strategy - 10 Oct 2011

The BlackRock Absolute Return Bond fund will adopt a more aggressive position for the fourth quarter, according to Ian Winship, its manager.
Warning to investors as problems hit Chinese banks

Fund Strategy - 10 Oct 2011

Concern grew over the state of China’s banks last week as a series of financial problems hit the world’s second-largest economy.
US unemployment remains static

7 Oct 2011

Static unemployment figures from the US today have demonstrated that job creation initiatives are continuing to stall.
Strong and stable euro "as likely as deep-fried ice-cream"

6 Oct 2011

A strong and stable euro “is as likely as deep-fried ice-cream”, says Gisela Stuart, a veteran ex-member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Stay wary of Chinese banks, says M&G’s Godfrey

6 Oct 2011

Investors should remain wary on the outlook for the Chinese banking sector, says M&G’s Michael Godfrey.
New BlackRock fund to go aggressive in Q4

6 Oct 2011

The BlackRock Absolute Return Bond fund will adopt a more aggressive position for the fourth quarter, according to manager Ian Winship.
Investors favour Cautious Managed funds in September

4 Oct 2011

UK Money Market funds have gone from being the best selling in August to seventh best in September for IFA’s using Fidelity’s FundsNetwork platform.
Investors flock to gold ETPs

4 Oct 2011

Gold exchange traded products (ETP) have seen a renewed surge in interest as a result of recent price declines.
FTSE sinks below 5,000 again

4 Oct 2011

The FTSE 100 quickly sank below 5,000 on opening this morning as the Greek debt crisis continues to shake markets.
UBS predicts “modest profits”

4 Oct 2011

UBS expects a “modest profit” to come out of the third quarter despite having reported losses of $2.3 billion (£1.5 billion) through “unauthorised trading”.
Rogue trading sparks ETF reviews

4 Oct 2011

Buyers and sellers of exchange traded funds (ETFs), the popular investment involved in the supposed $2 billion (£1.3 billion) fraud at UBS, said last week the industry should do more to counter unexpected losses, which could include fraud.
VAM Funds launches sterling share class for US fund

3 Oct 2011

VAM Funds has launched a sterling share class for the $60.7m (£39.1m) VAM US Mid Cap Growth fund.
Barings appoints emerging markets equities director

3 Oct 2011

Barings Asset Management has announced the appointment of William Palmer as its emerging markets equities team’s investment director.
European companies ‘delivering highest rate of dividend growth’

3 Oct 2011

Europe has recorded the highest rate of average dividend increases over the past five years, according to the Association of Investment Companies.
Allianz Global Investors adds to renminbi fund range

3 Oct 2011

Allianz Global Investors has revealed plans to launch a new currency fund later this year, designed to offer international investors access to the renminbi.
BlackRock launches absolute return bond fund

3 Oct 2011

BlackRock has launched an absolute return bond fund for senior portfolio manager, Ian Winship.
Glencore delays Peruvian mining deal

3 Oct 2011

Glencore International has reportedly delayed the acquisition of a majority stake in copper miner Marcobre SAC.
City of London reports hit to funds under management

3 Oct 2011

The recent turbulence of emerging markets has been underlined by a 22% decrease in the value of City of London Investment Group’s funds under management.
Rogue trading sparks ETF reviews

Fund Strategy - 3 Oct 2011

Buyers and sellers of exchange traded funds (ETFs), the popular investment involved in the supposed $2 billion (£1.3 billion) fraud at UBS, said last week the industry should do more to counter unexpected losses, which could include fraud.
Bank balance sheets not transparent enough, says S&W's Kenny

30 Sep 2011

Ian Kenny, the manager of the Smith & Williamson (S&W) Short Dated Corporate Bond fund, is avoiding the banking sector until the balance sheets start demonstrating greater transparency.
Eurozone trade with Brazil reaches new peak

29 Sep 2011

Trade in goods between the eurozone and Brazil is approaching its highest level in over 10 years, the European Union revealed today.
Santander to focus on "attracting profitable customers" in Spain

29 Sep 2011

Santander has predicted its loan operations in Spain will continue to shrink as the bank works to recover lost profits.
Oil supply a problem, says BlackRock’s Davis

29 Sep 2011

Investors concerned by the impact of oil demand issues are overlooking the supply-side problems, warns BlackRock’s Richard Davis.
AIC targets advisers with online training

29 Sep 2011

The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) is offering free training to advisers in preparation for the retail distribution review (RDR).
Investors could face tax triple whammy, says IMA

28 Sep 2011

European Commission proposals for a financial transaction tax could see Ucits investors taxed three times, according to the Investment Management Association (IMA).
No sharp increase in high-yield bond defaults, predicts Luis

28 Sep 2011

Concerns that high-yield bonds may experience a sharp rise in defaults are “overblown”, according to Fatima Luis, manager of the £224m F&C Strategic Bond fund.
Yerbury to step down in Invesco trust shake-up

28 Sep 2011

The board of the Invesco Perpetual Select Trust has proposed a change in strategy for the global equity portfolio.
Parmenion launches risk profiling tool

28 Sep 2011

Adviser support specialist Parmenion has launched a new enhanced risk profiling tool.
PSigma rebrands Balanced fund

28 Sep 2011

The PSigma Balanced Managed Fund of Funds is to undergo a rebranding in order to better convey the fund’s investment strategy to investors.
Morningstar announces new rating brands

28 Sep 2011

Morningstar has decided to scrap its global rating brands in favour of something that is “readily understood by investors worldwide”.
Eurozone contagion spreading to EMs, says JP Morgan AM

27 Sep 2011

The liquidity pressures at work in the eurozone are starting to weaken emerging markets, according to George Iwanicki, JP Morgan Asset Management strategist.
Egyptian cloud lifting, says Silk Invest

27 Sep 2011

The “cloud” over the political and investment environment in Egypt is now lifting, according to specialist asset management boutique Silk Invest.
IMF proposals are not a solution to debt crisis, says Capital Economics

27 Sep 2011

The eurozone rescue plan that has emerged from the IMF over the weekend does nothing to address the fundamental economic problems in many countries, says Capital Economics.
Buxton trust recoups 2008 loses, says Wins

27 Sep 2011

After volatile returns in 2008 and 2009, Winterflood Investment Trusts (Wins) is confident that performance in Richard Buxton’s £207m Schroder UK Growth investment trust has stabilised over the last year.
Gold could reach $2,000, says Damaskos

26 Sep 2011

Gold looks set to shoot back up to $2,000 per ounce in the near future, says Angelos Damaskos, the chief executive of Sector Investment Managers.
London & Capital launches on Ascentric platform

26 Sep 2011

Wealth manager London & Capital’s discretionary managed portfolios will become available on the Ascentric platform.
Investors sceptical over Fed’s ‘Operation Twist’

Fund Strategy - 26 Sep 2011

Investors last week reacted sceptically to the Federal Reserve’s plan to stimulate the American economy, otherwise known as “Operation Twist”.
Mutual funds performing above 2008 levels

23 Sep 2011

The recent performance of global mutual funds is a clear indication that current market volatility is different from the 2008 crisis, according to research by Strategic Insight.
IMA questions Esma proposals

22 Sep 2011

The Investment Management Association (IMA) has questioned European Securities and Markets Authority (Esma) proposals which will single out certain Ucits funds while ignoring other retail products.
Operation Twist and IMF report continue to hammer markets

22 Sep 2011

The FTSE 100 continues to fall as investors wait for American equity markets to open in order to assess the potential fallout of the Federal Reserve’s “Operation Twist”.
UK productivity ‘worrying’ and ‘puzzling’, says BoE economist

22 Sep 2011

The recent behaviour of productivity has been puzzling and worrying in equal measure, says the Bank of England’s chief economist.
S&P downgrades Invesco Corporate Bond fund

21 Sep 2011

Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has downgraded Invesco Perpetual’s Corporate Bond fund from its AAA rating, citing concerns over the portfolio’s liquidity.
Downgrades will not stop ECB buying bonds, says Zangana

21 Sep 2011

The European Central Bank (ECB) will continue to buy government bonds, even though further downgrades appear likely, says Schroder’s European economist Azad Zangana.
Decline of “Teflon” euro set to continue, says SLI's Dickson

21 Sep 2011

The euro could sink as low as €1.30 against the US dollar in coming weeks, says Ken Dickson, the investment director at Standard Life Investments (SLI).
Second tier companies "extremely attractive", says Borrows

21 Sep 2011

Fund manager Alan Borrows has increased his exposure to large cap multi-national and second tier companies based on attractive valuations.
Bank committee remains unchanged on base rate

21 Sep 2011

The Monetary Policy Committee has once again voted unanimously to keep the Bank of England base rate at 0.5%.
Plenty of pain to come for banks, says Henderson’s Crooke

20 Sep 2011

The banking sector is currently ‘uninvestable’, says Alex Crooke, the manager of Henderson’s £420m Bankers Investment Trust.
Avoid developed world-focused small caps, says Nickols

20 Sep 2011

Small and mid cap stocks with a developed world focus need to be sold in the current climate, says Dan Nickols, the manager of the Old Mutual UK Select Smaller Companies fund.
Alliance Trust outperforms benchmark

19 Sep 2011

Alliance Trust outperformed both the FTSE All-World and the FTSE All-Share indices for the six months ending July 2011.
JP Morgan appoints new emerging market currency specialist

19 Sep 2011

JP Morgan Asset Management has appointed Polar Capital’s Nima Tayebi to its emerging market debt and currency team.
Fitch launches fund rating service with Lipper

19 Sep 2011

Fitch Ratings has today launched a fund rating service drawing on performance data provided by Lipper.
Healthcare sector favoured by income funds, says Wise's Yarrow

19 Sep 2011

Economic resilience, increased diversification and shareholder returns are rapidly causing the healthcare sector to form a core component of income funds, says Wise Investment’s manager Hugh Yarrow.
Greek default gaining in probability, says BofA ML

19 Sep 2011

A Greek default by 2012 is gaining probability as a scenario, according to a report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML).
Fusion Wealth partners with SEI

19 Sep 2011

Fusion Wealth has partnered with SEI’s Global Wealth Services (GWS) to offer advisers greater access to markets.
Analysts divided over prospects for gold price

Fund Strategy - 19 Sep 2011

Demand for gold continues to keep valuations high but analysts are divided on what direction the precious metal is likely to take.
Caledonia in launch of India-focused boutique

Fund Strategy - 19 Sep 2011

Caledonia last week launched Ocean Dial Asset Management, a specialist emerging markets investment boutique, which has adopted an initial focus on Indian equities.
Investors cautious on French banks

Fund Strategy - 19 Sep 2011

Credit Agricole and Société Générale were hit with downgrades by Moody’s last week as rating agencies pursued their investigation into French banks’ exposure to Greek debt.
Market wobbles foster defensive, short-term outlook

Fund Strategy - 19 Sep 2011

Fund managers are shunning riskier long-term investments following the equities crash last month and continuing fears of a eurozone breakdown, according to September’s monthly global fund manager survey from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML).
New Omam vehicle to take multi-cap approach

Fund Strategy - 19 Sep 2011

?Old Mutual Asset Managers (Omam) is to launch a UK Opportunities fund for manager Simon Murphy.
Investors favour UK Money Markets in August

16 Sep 2011

The UK Money Market fund sector was the best-selling IMA sector for IFAs using Fidelity’s FundsNetwork platform in August.
Central banks coordinate liquidity operations

16 Sep 2011

The European Central Bank (ECB), in coordination with four other central banks, yesterday announced they would provide greater liquidity to the eurozone.
Rising dividends “no longer a sign of weakness”, says Invesco’s Butcher

15 Sep 2011

Rising dividend payouts are no longer a sign of weakness, according to Invesco Perpetual fund manager Stephanie Butcher.
Omam launches new UK equities fund

15 Sep 2011

Old Mutual Asset Managers (Omam) is to launch a UK Opportunities fund for manager Simon Murphy.
Caledonia launches specialist EM investment boutique

14 Sep 2011

Caledonia today launched Ocean Dial Asset Management, a specialist emerging markets investment boutique with an initial focus on Indian equities.
UK banks will not face a downgrade, says Moody’s

14 Sep 2011

UK banks will not face a downgrade based on the Independent Commission on Banking’s (ICB’s) report, published earlier this week, says Moody’s.
French banks downgraded by Moody’s

14 Sep 2011

French banks Credit Agricole and Société Générale have both had their credit ratings cut by Moody’s based on their exposure to Greek government debt.
Unemployment stabilises in OECD countries

13 Sep 2011

Unemployment in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area has remained unchanged at 8.2% for the fifth consecutive month in July.
UK companies present buying opportunities, says Peter Lees

13 Sep 2011

The UK will undergo another round of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) if measures are not taken to shore up British companies, says F&C Thames River’s Peter Lees.
IMF releases funds to Portugal

13 Sep 2011

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released an amount equivalent to €3.9 billion (£3.4 billion) to Portugal having completed the first review of the country’s performance.
Europe heading for recession, says manager survey

13 Sep 2011

The majority of European investors expect Europe to fall into recession over the next 12 months, according to the latest Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML) fund manager survey for September.
Ring-fencing could cause more harm than good, says Octopus

12 Sep 2011

The UK financial system could be at greater risk following the proposals laid out in the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) report, according to Octopus Investments.
China's "hard landing" underway, says economist

12 Sep 2011

China’s trade data suggests the country is very far from experiencing a “soft landing”, suggests Diana Choyleva, an economist with Lombard Street Research.
SIG goes overweight in equities

12 Sep 2011

Skandia Investment Group (SIG) has moved from a neutral position in equities to an overweight stance.
Asset management firms concerned over high frequency trading

12 Sep 2011

More than two thirds of traders at asset management firms have expressed concern over the impact of high frequency trading (HFT) on the equities market, according to research by Liquidnet.
Neuberger Berman names head of intermediary

12 Sep 2011

Asset manager Neuberger Berman has appointed Tom Douie as head of intermediary for Europe.
Schroders poaches RCM portfolio manager

12 Sep 2011

Schroders has appointed RCM Global Investors portfolio manager Sue Chan as a global portfolio manager in its global and international equities team.
Aviva Investors aims to promote sustainable investments

Fund Strategy - 12 Sep 2011

Aviva Investors has commissioned a report which proposes environmentally hostile activities result in higher insurance premiums for companies.
Jobs Act fails to inspire confidence

Fund Strategy - 12 Sep 2011

President Barack Obama unveiled the American Jobs Act last week, in an attempt to reduce the 9.1% jobless rate.
M&G manager raises exposure to high yield bonds

Fund Strategy - 12 Sep 2011

?Richard Woolnough has raised his exposure to high yield bonds in the M&G Corporate, Optimal Income and Strategic Corporate funds to his highest levels.
Investors flee equity funds in September, says EPFR Global

9 Sep 2011

Equity funds posted $15.2 billion (£9.5 billion) in outflows during the first week of September while investor appetite for bond funds sharply rose, according to EPFR Global.
Amundi adds to global equity team with Aviva hire

9 Sep 2011

Asset manager Amundi has appointed Jason Josefs as a senior portfolio manager on its flagship global equity fund.
Executive board member of the ECB resigns

9 Sep 2011

Jürgen Stark, a member of the executive board and governing council of the European Central Bank (ECB), has resigned from the Bank for “personal reasons”.
China's inflation eases in August

9 Sep 2011

China’s inflation has started to drop off during August after reaching a 37-month high in July.
Obama’s job plan won’t “add a dime to the deficit”, says White House

9 Sep 2011

President Barack Obama has delivered Congress the American Jobs Act, urging them to pass the latest attempt to bring down unemployment from its current level of 9.1%.
Economic recovery halts in major economies

8 Sep 2011

Economic growth appears to have come close to a halt in the major industrialised nations, according to the latest report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Amundi launches seven emerging market ETFs

8 Sep 2011

Amundi has today launched seven emerging market exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
Axa IM launches new short duration high yield fund

8 Sep 2011

Axa Investment Management has expanded its short duration fund range with the addition of a high yield fund.
Japanese production levels over twice as bad as predicted

8 Sep 2011

Japan’s machinery orders were doubly as poor as analysts predicted in July, according to reports, offering another troubling sign that the economy is stalling.
Brazil renews strength as investment opportunity, says HSBC

8 Sep 2011

Brazil’s interest rate cut is the first of several that will continue to offer investment opportunities, says HSBC Global Asset Management.
Low growth is here to stay, says JP Morgan

7 Sep 2011

Persistently weak consumer demand has led to the JP Morgan American Investment Trust scaling back its exposure to the sector in favour of currently undervalued opportunities.
Bank of Japan leaves rate unchanged

7 Sep 2011

The Bank of Japan has unanimously voted to keep the uncollateralised overnight call rate at between 0 and 0.1% and to stay on course with the ¥50 trillion (£405 billion) asset purchase programme.
UK industry falters in July

7 Sep 2011

Levels of UK industrial output fell worse than expected in July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Morning in brief: Germany rules on future bailouts, BofA undergoes reshuffle, Treasuries begin to climb

7 Sep 2011

Germany’s highest court to rule on future contributions to eurozone bailouts, Bank of America attempts to shake up senior management and US Treasuries recover from near-record lows
George Osborne defends austerity measures

7 Sep 2011

George Osborne renewed his commitment to the government’s austerity measures in a speech at the Lloyd’s of London Annual City Dinner.
Market stability depends on transparency, says Bank's Kohn

7 Sep 2011

Economic stability will ultimately be determined by private decisions, not regulators, says Bank of England committee member Donald Kohn.
Omam hires Lilley to run European fund

6 Sep 2011

Old Mutual Asset Managers (Omam) has announced Kevin Lilley to manage the £71m Old Mutual European Equity fund.
Germany softens on possibility of Greek departure

6 Sep 2011

A Greek exit from the eurozone is no longer considered a ‘taboo’ for the German government.
EFG International launches UK business

6 Sep 2011

The asset management arm of EFG International officially launched its UK business today.
World Bank unveils emerging market investment opportunities

6 Sep 2011

The World Bank has announced a new partnership with the government of Singapore in an attempt to generate greater private sector investment in East Asian infrastructure.
UK stands a 40% chance of QE2, says BofA ML

6 Sep 2011

The UK stands a 40% chance of being subjected to a second round of quantitative easing (QE2), says Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML).
Insynergy and Skandia sign deal

5 Sep 2011

Insynergy Investment Management has signed an agreement to make its fund range available through the Skandia platforms.
Analysts divided over Brazil's interest rate cut

5 Sep 2011

The Central Bank of Brazil cut the interest rate to 12% last week. Amid high inflation, analysts are questioning the bank’s decision to prize growth over tackling inflation.
Equity funds suffer badly in July, says IMA

5 Sep 2011

Equity funds experienced net outflows in July for the first time since February 2009 as investor confidence was shaken by market volatility.
UK services sector suffers worst fall in a decade

5 Sep 2011

The UK’s services index demonstrated the biggest monthly fall in a decade in August as business conditions remain unfavourable.
Rensburg Fund Management to be renamed as Franklin Templeton

5 Sep 2011

Rensburg Fund Management will be renamed as Franklin Templeton Fund Management from October.
European markets fall over renewed recession fears

5 Sep 2011

In response to the news on Friday that the US had failed to create new jobs in August, European markets have fallen on opening this morning as fears of a recession grow.
Analysts divided over Brazil's interest rate cut

Fund Strategy - 5 Sep 2011

The Central Bank of Brazil cut the interest rate to 12% last week. Amid high inflation, analysts are questioning the bank’s decision to prize growth over tackling inflation.
Data shows no growth in US employment

2 Sep 2011

The US employment situation has remained unchanged in August with approximately 14m Americans still out of work and the economy failing to add any jobs.
India’s economy experiencing a ‘soft landing’, says Gemini

2 Sep 2011

India’s latest GDP figures, demonstrating the slowest rate of GDP growth in over 18 months, represents the ‘soft landing’ the Central Bank has been aiming for as it battles inflation.
US manufacturing falls ahead of employment figures

2 Sep 2011

US manufacturing output sank to its lowest level in two years last month but still finished higher than analysts predicted.
Federal Reserve questions Goldman Sachs

2 Sep 2011

The Federal Reserve has announced a formal enforcement action against Goldman Sachs based on the bank’s time as one of the largest mortgage providers in the US.
Ucits inflows slow in second quarter

2 Sep 2011

Inflows into Ucits funds dropped by €12 billion (£10.6 billion) in the second quarter, largely driven by a sharp increase in outflows from money market funds.
Simon Smith joins Omam

1 Sep 2011

Old Mutual Asset Managers (Omam) has appointed Simon Smith as the head of wholesale business.
UK household unemployment falls slightly

1 Sep 2011

More households contain people in work compared with last year but the number containing people who have never worked has increased, according to the Office for National Statistics.
BlackRock appoints UK fund co-manager

1 Sep 2011

Nick Little has been appointed to the role of co-manager on the BlackRock UK fund.
Spain and Italy need German inflation, says LSR

1 Sep 2011

Germany will have to accept above average inflation if Spain and Italy are to stand a chance of long term growth, according to Lombard Street Research (LSR).
Irish investment to fall as unemployment rises, says report

1 Sep 2011

Ireland’s domestic economy is likely to remain depressed in 2011-12 as unemployment grows and investment declines.
Global trade figures show slowdown in recovery

31 Aug 2011

Global import and export growth rates slowed in the second quarter of 2011, signalling a faltering recovery worldwide, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Eurozone unemployment hits 15.8m

31 Aug 2011

Unemployment in the eurozone remained unchanged in July, according to the latest figures from the statistical office of the European Union.
Japan’s factory production slows

31 Aug 2011

Japan’s industrial production continues to slow under the weight of an overvalued yen and a global economic slowdown that is hurting export demand.
Fidelity platform in transparency bid

31 Aug 2011

Fidelity FundsNetwork will publish full details of fees received from fund management groups from September 1.
Government bonds spell losses for Greece’s largest bank

31 Aug 2011

National Bank of Greece (NBG) has posted losses after it was forced to write down its holdings in Greek government bonds.
Artemis appoints third Global Select manager

30 Aug 2011

Artemis Asset Management has appointed Rosanna Burcheri to co-manage the recently launched Global Select fund.
Investors pile into platinum

30 Aug 2011

Platinum exchange traded funds (ETFs) have seen the largest inflows in 10 months, overtaking gold, silver and oil.
Italian borrowing costs start to fall

30 Aug 2011

The Italian government has taken €7.7 billion (£6.8 billion) at a bond auction today as previously record-high yields start to drift down.
Bank of America argues for eurobonds

30 Aug 2011

Eurobonds will not solve the sovereign debt crisis but could alleviate the situation if they ensure fiscal discipline, says Bank of America (BofA).
Japanese unemployment grows faster than expected

30 Aug 2011

The Japanese unemployment rate grew faster than expected in July, adding to concerns that the economic situation is worsening.
India’s economy continues to slow

30 Aug 2011

The Indian economy appears to be slowing as the country today posted its lowest rate of GDP growth in over 18 months.
Japan weathers storm while others flounder

Fund Strategy - 29 Aug 2011

Japan appears to have come through its second downgrade of 2011 relatively unscathed, especially compared with the other recently downgraded nations.
S&P indices expose three-year underperformance

Fund Strategy - 29 Aug 2011

Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has reported that most actively managed American mutual funds have failed to outperform their benchmarks over the past three years.
IMF warns of sub-Sahara’s dependency on oil production

26 Aug 2011

The IMF has issued a warning to sub-Saharan countries which hold an over reliance on oil exports.
Bernanke avoids QE3

26 Aug 2011

Ben Bernanke has indicated the US will not undertake a further round of quantitative easing (QE).
Bank of England extends liquidity agreement with eurozone

25 Aug 2011

The Bank of England (BoE) has announced it will extend its temporary agreement to provide liquidity to the European Central Bank (ECB) for a further year.
Peripheral eurozone could look to Baltics for solutions, says Fitch

25 Aug 2011

The path taken by the Baltic states in order to return to economic growth should be applied to the peripheral eurozone, says Fitch ratings.
Glencore reports surge in profits

25 Aug 2011

Commodities giant Glencore has reported a surge in profits, driven largely by its energy division.
Active US mutual funds lag benchmarks, says S&P

24 Aug 2011

Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has reported that the majority of actively managed US mutual funds have failed to outperform their benchmarks over the past three years.
Buy to sell ratios at highest since 2009, says Omam's Murphy

24 Aug 2011

Buy to sell ratios are at their highest levels since December 2009, says Omam’s Simon Murphy.
QE3 will not solve banking crisis, argues SVM’s McLean

24 Aug 2011

A third round of quantative easing (QE3) will have little impact on the banking crisis, says Colin McLean, the managing director of SVM.
SLI reports record sales

24 Aug 2011

Standard Life Investments (SLI) has reported record sales for its UK wholesale business, as it took £1.5 billion in the first half of 2011.
Oil companies will not stay undervalued, says expert

24 Aug 2011

The undervaluation of the oil companies cannot continue for much longer, according to the Junior Oils Trust.
Foreign investment in India will never exceed 5%, says ACPI manager

24 Aug 2011

Indian authorities say they will never allow foreign ownership of corporate bonds to exceed 5%, says Steve O’Hanlon, the manager of the $40m (£24.2m) ACPI India Fixed Income Ucits fund.
Hargreaves drops Invesco UK Smaller Companies fund from Wealth 150

23 Aug 2011

The Invesco Perpetual UK Smaller Companies Equity fund has been removed from the Hargreaves Lansdown Wealth 150 list of recommended funds owing to its recent underperformance.
IMF lending reaches highest level in a decade

23 Aug 2011

Lending by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is at its highest level in a decade, even without knowing how much further support will be required in the fourth quarter.
UK manufacturing strengthening despite risks, says CBI

23 Aug 2011

Output growth for the UK manufacturing sector is above “long term average”, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) today.
Investors shun risk and go for cash

Fund Strategy - 22 Aug 2011

Investors have less appetite for risk than at any time since the last financial crisis, according to the August fund manager survey from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Jupiter to pay maiden interim dividend

19 Aug 2011

Jupiter Fund Management will pays its first interim dividend payment in September based on strong growth in assets under management and inflows.
US CPI rises sharply in July

18 Aug 2011

Consumer price inflation (CPI) in the US rose faster than expected in July, partly owing to the sharpest increase in gasoline prices since April.
Japanese trade surplus grows

18 Aug 2011

There are further signs that an economic recovery in Japan is underway after the nation’s trade surplus increased by almost ¥2 billion (£15.7m) in July.
UK retail sales worse than predicted

18 Aug 2011

UK retail sales showed lower than predicted signs of growth in July and at a reduced rate to June’s results. Overall growth for the year was non-existent.
L&G on RDR: Danger of a two-speed system

18 Aug 2011

Platforms may find themselves slimming down on functionality, post-RDR, says L&G’s Simon Ellis.
European markets fail to be reassured by Sarkozy and Merkel’s commitments

17 Aug 2011

European equity markets have responded negatively this morning to the results of a meeting between French and German leaders yesterday.
Morning in brief: Asian stocks perform well, European leaders underscore commitment to euro

17 Aug 2011

Asian markets are up for the third consecutive day, Angela Merkel plays down the possibility of eurobonds and Lion Fund Management aims to raise up to $1 billion (£608m) for investment abroad.
Gartmore integration hits Henderson profits

17 Aug 2011

Henderson Asset Management made a small pre-tax loss of £3m for the first half of 2011, due to costs related to the Gartmore acquisition.
Managers shed equity weightings

16 Aug 2011

Investor risk appetite is at its lowest in over two years as Merrill Lynch gives a “buy” signal on equities.
German GDP growth worse than predicted

16 Aug 2011

Germany’s GDP growth slowed to just a fifth of industry expectations in the second quarter.
Funds go in Castlestone shake-up

15 Aug 2011

Castlestone Management last week liquidated four funds, including a major holding in one of its British Virgin Islands portfolios, as its chief executive stepped down to become its chief investment officer in the Caribbean fund centre.
World Bank warns of new danger zone for developed economies

15 Aug 2011

Confidence in economic leadership is waning and could lead to western economies entering a “new danger zone”, warns Robert Zoellick, the president of the World Bank.
Italy aims to balance budget by 2013

15 Aug 2011

The Italian parliament will decide whether or not to bring forward the aim of a balanced budget by one year.
Global markets make shaky improvement

15 Aug 2011

The global markets have shown signs of improvement as European and Asian stocks were lifted this morning.
Funds go in Castlestone shake-up

Fund Strategy - 15 Aug 2011

Castlestone Management last week liquidated four funds, including a major holding in one of its British Virgin Islands portfolios, as its chief executive stepped down to become its chief investment officer in the Caribbean fund centre.
Greece fails to grow in second quarter

12 Aug 2011

There was further evidence that Greece is failing to cultivate an economic recovery today as it was revealed that GDP growth shrunk by 6.9% in the second quarter of 2011.
Liontrust Special Situations sees buying opportunities in turmoil

12 Aug 2011

Anthony Cross, the manager of the £134.3m Liontrust Special Situations fund, has been using recent market turmoil as an opportunity to buy favourable shares.
Portuguese recovery "on track", says ECB and IMF

12 Aug 2011

Portugal’s economic programme is off to a “promising start”, according to the European Central Bank (ECB), European Commission (EC) and International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) findings during their first quarterly review.
Cautious Managed retains top selling spot, says Cofunds

12 Aug 2011

Demand for fixed income products and ways to limit risk continued over July, the latest sales figures from Cofunds have shown today.
Investors ditch UK and European equities, Fidelity says

11 Aug 2011

Investors spent the beginning of the month switching out of UK and European equities in favour of cash, emerging markets and fixed interests sectors.
Omam’s Cowley removes euro bond exposure

11 Aug 2011

The Old Mutual Global Strategic Bond fund has completely removed exposure to the euro, as well as the Australian and Canadian dollar.
Economic weakness to persist in UK, warns LSR

11 Aug 2011

The UK can expect persistent economic weakness and unchanged monetary policy into next year, warns Lombard Street Research (LSR).
Castlestone CEO Murray steps down

11 Aug 2011

Angus Murray, the founder and chief executive of Castlestone, is to step down today as the firm prepares to liquidate its four Dublin-based funds.
Fitch downgrades Cyprus to BBB

10 Aug 2011

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Cyprus’ credit rating two notches to BBB as speculation grows that it may become the fourth eurozone country to need a bailout.
Castlestone no longer discloses BVI fund investments

10 Aug 2011

Castlestone’s British Virgin Islands (BVI) Intelligent Portfolio (IQ) Asset Allocation fund has ceased to disclose its precise underlying holdings on its factsheet, which recently included an Irish fund it is due to liquidate on Thursday.
US markets open with small gains

9 Aug 2011

After opening higher than expected, the US markets appear to be heading towards recovery.
Gold securities see record inflows

9 Aug 2011

Gold securities worldwide have recorded the second largest weekly inflows since August 2010, according to ETF Securities, while equity markets continue to fall.
UK trade deficit widens by £4.5 billion in June

9 Aug 2011

The UK’s trade deficit widened by £4.5 billion in June, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today.
Oil price dips below $100 on economic fears

9 Aug 2011

The price of Brent crude oil has dropped below $100 per barrel for the first time since February.
Fidelity's Greetham stays bullish in face of US downgrade

9 Aug 2011

Trevor Greetham, the asset allocation director at Fidelity, remains bullish on US treasuries despite Standard & Poor’s downgrading the US credit rating last week.
UK slows for sixth month running, says OECD

9 Aug 2011

UK growth has slowed for the sixth consecutive month, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said this morning.
US slowdown would hit Mexico too, IMF warns

8 Aug 2011

An economic slowdown in the US would have a “material drag” on Mexico given its close integration, according to the latest report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
RWC considers regulated version of Pilgrim fund

8 Aug 2011

RWC Partners is considering the launch of a regulated version of its British long/short equity fund, Pilgrim.
Gold price soars to record high

8 Aug 2011

The price of gold hit a new nominal record high of $1,715 (£1,045) a troy ounce this morning, according to the World Gold Council.
Barings appoints EM debt investment manager

8 Aug 2011

Baring Asset Management has appointed Faisal Ali as an investment manager on the emerging markets debt division.
Asset managers react to US downgrade

8 Aug 2011

On Friday the US lost its top level credit rating for the first time in its history after Standard and Poor’s rating agency downgraded it to AA+. Fund managers are preparing for the impact this decision will have on investor confidence.
IMA shows burgeoning £ Strategic Bond sector

Fund Strategy - 8 Aug 2011

Global overtook £ Strategic Bond to become the bestselling sector for June and had the highest sales rate on record, according to last week’s statistics released by the Investment Management Association (IMA).
Japan and Swiss central banks devalue currency

Fund Strategy - 8 Aug 2011

The Japanese and Swiss central banks took action to devalue their respective currencies last week.
Manager views mixed on market woes

Fund Strategy - 8 Aug 2011

Fund managers posted mixed reactions to plummeting markets last week as the slowing American economy narrowly avoided default and the eurozone debt crisis continued.
RWC considers regulated version of Pilgrim fund

Fund Strategy - 8 Aug 2011

RWC Partners is considering the launch of a regulated version of its British long/short equity fund, Pilgrim.
Market falls continue on crisis woes

5 Aug 2011

The markets opened this morning to reveal yesterday’s global index freefall is still gaining momentum.
Old Mutual posts 15% climb in profits

5 Aug 2011

Old Mutual has reported a 15% rise in profits for the first half of 2011 and strong returns from its exposure to emerging markets.
Brooks Macdonald to buy Clarke Willmott

5 Aug 2011

Brooks Macdonald Asset Management is to acquire the investment management activities of law firm Clarke Willmott.
Eurozone main interest rate held at 1.5%

4 Aug 2011

The European Central Bank (ECB) has maintained eurozone interest rates at 1.5%, as widely expected by the market, but will extend its liquidity measures.
Global sales overtake £ Strategic Bond in June

4 Aug 2011

Global funds overtook £ Strategic Bond to become the bestselling sector for June and had the highest sales rate on record, according to the latest results from the Investment Management Association (IMA).
Most fund classes hit by declining inflows in Q1, claims Efama report

4 Aug 2011

Equity, long-term and global investment funds all saw declining inflows over the first quarter, with only bond funds registering an increase.
SL Capital Partners hires Thomas Chevalier

4 Aug 2011

SL Capital Partners has appointed Thomas Chevalier to the position of investment director for its Edinburgh-based investment team.
t1ps Investment Management launches India fund

4 Aug 2011

t1ps Investment Management (TIM) has today launched a new India fund with a focus on small to medium-sized Indian companies.
Schroders’ intermediary inflows fall in 2011’s opening half

4 Aug 2011

Schroders has reported diminished investment activity in the adviser market but has seen profits rise 15% in the first half of 2011, from £188.2m to £215.7m.
Skandia appoints Liontrust to run £28m mandate

4 Aug 2011

Skandia has appointed Liontrust to run a mandate in the Skandia UK Best Ideas fund.
Berlusconi delays critical parliamentary speech

3 Aug 2011

Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, has delayed a critical parliamentary speech until after markets close this evening.
OPM’s Yousefian reintroduces dollar hedge

3 Aug 2011

Tony Yousefian, the chief investment officer of OPM Fund Management, will once again add a dollar hedge to his fixed income fund as he now expects the currency to remain weak.
OBSR downgrades Henderson Gartmore and Baring funds

3 Aug 2011

Old Broad Street Research (OBSR) has downgraded three funds from AA to A: the Henderson Gartmore Emerging Markets and the Global Focus fund, as well as the Baring Europa fund.
Société Générale forced to write down €268m in Greek debt

3 Aug 2011

Société Générale has been forced to write down €268m (£234m) in Greek government bonds, €395m before tax and other adjustments.
F&C reports growth despite litigation payouts

3 Aug 2011

F&C has reported strong revenue growth, despite litigation payouts and concerns over the macroeconomic outlook.
BNP Paribas to suffer losses on Greek debt

2 Aug 2011

BNP Paribas has been forced to set aside €534m (£466m) following the latest Greek bailout package.
Collins Stewart’s AUM rise by 20% year on year

2 Aug 2011

Collins Stewart Wealth Management saw its total assets under management and administration rise by 20% year-on-year ending June.
House of Reps passes US debt deal

2 Aug 2011

The US House of Representatives has passed the US deficit reduction deal agreed on Sunday by a vote of 269 to 161.
Capita buys AIB's international servicer

2 Aug 2011

Capita Group has today reached an agreement to acquire the international financial services business of Allied Irish Banks (AIB).
Schroders hires GLG's Isaac

2 Aug 2011

Schroders has appointed Gareth Isaac as a senior portfolio on its multi-sector fixed income team.
UK policies sound despite stalling recovery, says IMF

2 Aug 2011

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the UK recovery has stalled over the last three quarters but that its current fiscal and monetary policies remain appropriate.
Liontrust to acquire emerging market specialist

2 Aug 2011

Liontrust Asset Management has reached an agreement to acquire emerging market specialist Occam Asset Management for around £3.9m.
Morning in brief: Tentative US debt deal, EU stocks rise, Honda profits drop

1 Aug 2011

The US reports that it may have finally cleared the risk of default, prompting stocks to rise in Europe, and Honda reveals huge drop in profits as a consequence of the March tsunami.
UK economy to be “sluggish” in 2011

1 Aug 2011

The UK economy will continue to grow at a “sluggish rate” this year, according to the latest release from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
US announces deficit deal

1 Aug 2011

President Obama confirmed yesterday that a bipartisan agreement has been reached between parties that would allow the debt ceiling to be raised.
Wary managers fight shy of troubled eurozone

Fund Strategy - 1 Aug 2011

Global bond fund and multi-asset managers continued to be wary over struggling eurozone countries as the latest Greek bail-out failed to allayfears last week.
Cyprus ‘became ponzi scheme’, claims Ignis’ Thomson

29 Jul 2011

Cyprus will default within 12 months, says Stuart Thomson, the chief economist at Ignis Asset Management.
Markets being ‘too hard’ on European banks, argues Western Asset

28 Jul 2011

Western Asset argues the market is being too hard on European banks and the probability of their defaulting.
Fitch positive on outlook for Portugal

28 Jul 2011

Fitch to resolve Portugal’s rating watch negative on its BBB- rating based on the success of the EU-IMF financial assistance programme.
F&C renames Lees’ UK Equity fund

28 Jul 2011

Peter Lees’ UK Equity fund has been renamed and is now called the F&C UK Alpha fund.
Western AM strengthen global team

27 Jul 2011

Western Asset Management have hired Gordon Brown and Chia-Liang Lian to join their global investment team.
Fundsmith to launch Junior Isa

27 Jul 2011

Fundsmith today confirmed it intends to launch a Junior Isa.
AIB chairman apologises to shareholders

26 Jul 2011

The executive chairman of Allied Irish Banks (AIB) has apologised to shareholders for past mistakes, whilst announcing a near complete nationalisation of the group.
Experts voice concern over GDP figures

26 Jul 2011

Today’s GDP results, demonstrating 0.2% growth in the second quarter, has sparked concern among industry experts.
DSP to launch Indian Absolute Return fund

26 Jul 2011

Dalton Strategic Partnership (DSP) plans to launch an Indian Absolute Return fund in September.
GDP rises by 0.2% in second quarter

26 Jul 2011

UK GDP grew by 0.2% in the second quarter of 2011, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
50% of investors unhappy about fees

25 Jul 2011

Half of investors are dissatisfied with management fees but about two thirds are still willing to pay more for stronger performing managers.
Allied Irish Bank posts €2.6 billion loss

25 Jul 2011

Allied Irish Bank (AIB) has outlined a loss of €2.6 billion (£2.3 billion) driven by bad debts in its latest preliminary interim results announcement.
Fewer than half of absolute return funds beat inflation

25 Jul 2011

Fewer than half of funds in the absolute return sector have beaten inflation over the past year.
Analyst questions Castlestone fund’s leveraging

Fund Strategy - 25 July 2011

Castlestone’s Intelligent Portfolio (IQ) Asset Allocation fund should not be using the type of leverage it employs, an industry expert has said.
Castlestone investigation ‘not into criminal offences’

22 Jul 2011

Castlestone Investment Management has denied that the FSA investigation into it is connected to criminal offences.
Seven days in the life of Castlestone

22 Jul 2011

In the short space of a week, market rumblings about Castlestone Investment Management (IM) came to a head with a coordinated raid on Wednesday morning, led by the FSA and flanked by the City of London Police.
US default is ‘50/50’ says S&P

22 Jul 2011

Ratings agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) estimates there is a 50/50 chance the US will lose its AAA credit rating in the near future.
EU leaders agree £96 billion Greek bailout

22 Jul 2011

European leaders (EU) staved off the possibility of the Greek default by means of an “exceptional and unique solution” last night.
Castlestone issues raid update

21 Jul 2011

Yesterday’s raids on Castlestone Management’s premises by the FSA have had no effect on the running of its Dublin or British Virgin Islands-domiciled funds, the firm has said.
Castlestone investment contradicts prospectus, says expert

21 Jul 2011

Castlestone’s Intelligent Portfolio (IQ) Asset Allocation fund should not be allowed to use the type of leverage it is currently deploying, an industry expert has said.
Junior Oils Trust sells down bonds

21 Jul 2011

The Junior Oils Trust has sold out of bonds to take advantage of the growing demand for oil.
IMF cancels credit arrangement with Ivory Coast

21 Jul 2011

The IMF has cancelled its extended credit facility arrangement with the Ivory Coast and is instead requesting emergency funding through the Rapid Credit Facility.
Castlestone to "fully cooperate" with FSA investigation

20 Jul 2011

Castlestone says it will fully cooperate with the FSA’s investigation, following today’s raid of two of its premises by the FSA.
FSA raids two Castlestone IM premises

20 Jul 2011

The FSA has executed search warrants on two Castlestone Investment Management premises.
Brooks MacDonald FUM rises 6%

20 Jul 2011

Brooks Macdonald Asset Management has reported a 6% rise in the value of its discretionary funds under management (FUM).
IMF issues warning to Japan

20 Jul 2011

The IMF has issued a warning to Japan over its increase in public spending following the March earthquake.
Kerkis to take over HSBC Brazil Equity fund

19 Jul 2011

Natalia Kerkis will take over as senior manager on the HSBC GIF Brazil Equity fund, following the departure of José Cuervo, according to Old Broad Street Research (OBSR).
Henderson retains 91% of Gartmore assets

19 Jul 2011

The Henderson Group has reported that the integration of the Gartmore business is “well advanced”, with some 91% of Gartmore’s December 31, 2010, assets being retained.
Bostock to leave RBS to join Lloyds Bank

19 Jul 2011

Nathan Bostock has announced his departure from the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) in order to join Lloyds Bank as the CEO of wholesale banking.
Australian fund manager buys JO Hambro for £209m

19 Jul 2011

BT Investment Management (BTIM) will take possession of JO Hambro Capital Management Group’s (JOHCM’s) core investment management business, it was confirmed today.
Some managers remain bullish on Italy despite crisis

19 Jul 2011

After Italy became the latest eurozone nation to spark concern over its finances last week, do fund managers still consider Italian government bonds a worthwhile investment?
Fidelity’s Scurlock exploring oil opportunities

18 Jul 2011

Oil investors should consider the oil equipment sector as the rising cost of the raw material is leading companies to work on projects previously considered commercially non-viable, says Alexander Scurlock, manager of the Fidelity European Growth fund.
Glencore acquires Peruvian copper reserves

18 Jul 2011

Commodities giant Glencore has entered into a $475m (£295m) deal to acquire a 70% interest in Peruvian mining operator, Marcobre S.A.C.
First State shuffles China Growth team

18 Jul 2011

Seck Yee Hou has become a co-manager of the First State Greater China Growth fund, replacing Ho Hsiu Mei, who remains at the firm.
Castlestone papers reveal unusual holdings

18 Jul 2011

Documents from Castlestone have exposed some unusual investments in its Intelligent Portfolio Asset Allocation fund of funds after its Aliquot Gold Bullion fund was shown to have high fees.
Morning in brief: News Corp stocks hit low, gold reaches high, Euro stocks fall

18 Jul 2011

This morning’s news sees fresh concerns over the results of the European banking stress tests and new lows for the share price of News Corp.
ECB will not support Greek default

18 Jul 2011

The European Central Bank (ECB) will not support Greece in the event of a default, selective or otherwise, says Jean Claude Trichet, the president of the central bank.
Man Group to acquire Lehman exposure from GLG funds

18 Jul 2011

Man Group is attempting to acquire all the residual exposure to the Lehman estates from GLG managed funds.
Castlestone papers reveal unusual holdings

Fund Strategy - 18 July 2011

Documents from Castlestone have exposed some unusual investments in its Intelligent Portfolio Asset Allocation fund of funds after its Aliquot Gold Bullion fund was shown to have high fees.
First State shuffles China Growth team

Fund Strategy - 18 July 2011

Seck Yee Hou has become a co-manager of the First State Greater China Growth fund, replacing Ho Hsiu Mei, who remains at the firm.
Some managers remain bullish on Italy despite crisis

Fund Strategy - 18 July 2011

After Italy became the latest eurozone nation to spark concern over its finances last week, do fund managers still consider Italian government bonds a worthwhile investment?
No return to global recession this year, says Omam manager

15 Jul 2011

The global economy will not return to recession this year and company profits will continue to grow, predicts Stephen Message, the manager of the Old Mutual Equity Income fund.
Sovereign bonds hitting risky territory, says M&G’s Woolnough

15 Jul 2011

European sovereign bond investors will now have to ask themselves “are these guys actually going to pay me back?” according to M&G manager Richard Woolnough.
Europe lacks political and technical leadership, says Pimco CEO

15 Jul 2011

Europe still lacks the political and technical leadership needed finally to catch up with this damaging crisis, says the chief executive officer (CEO) of Pimco.
Junior Oils Trust changes ACD

15 Jul 2011

The Junior Oils Trust is to change its fund administration from Capita Financial Managers to Marlborough Fund Managers.
Rathbones to launch Enhanced Growth fund

14 Jul 2011

Rathbone Unit Trust Management is set to expand its multi asset portfolio range with the addition of the Rathbone Enhanced Growth Portfolio.
Giles Hargreave fund launches with £90m assets

13 Jul 2011

The Marlborough Multi Cap Income fund has launched with over £90m under management.
UK unemployment falls to 7.7%

13 Jul 2011

The UK unemployment rate fell from 7.8% to 7.7% in the three months to May, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
OECD unemployment rate remains steady

12 Jul 2011

The unemployment rate for the OECD area remained steady at 8.1% in May, representing the third consecutive month without change.
IMF predicts 3% German growth for 2011

12 Jul 2011

The German economy will grow by 3% this year, predicts the IMF.
Colombia to double oil production by 2014, says Lat AM manager

12 Jul 2011

Colombia is positioned to double its oil production levels by 2014, identifying it as one of Latin America’s most promising investment opportunities, says Alex Duffy, the co-manager of the £1.55 billion Fidelity Latin America fund.
Gartmore Fledgling Trust rebranded to Henderson

11 Jul 2011

Gartmore Fledgling Trust has been renamed Henderson Fledgling Trust following approval by the board of directors.
US manager leaves Invesco Perpetual

11 Jul 2011

Invesco Perpetual fund manager Andrew Shard has today left the group.
Parmenion adds risk rated portfolios to platform

11 Jul 2011

Parmenion has launched a multi-asset solution which allows investors access to a number of Frontier Investment Management funds.
Cautious Managed tops Cofunds rankings

11 Jul 2011

The Cautious Managed sector was again the highest selling in June, increasing both its market sector share and the number of top selling funds, according to the latest sales trends from Cofunds.
Fidelity launches emerging Asia fund

11 Jul 2011

Fidelity International will today launch an onshore version of its Luxembourg-domiciled Emerging Asia fund.
Charges hit returns on Castlestone gold fund

11 Jul 2011

Castlestone’s Aliquot Gold Bullion fund has underperformed under the weight of unusually high charges, fund factsheets reveal.
Equity fund flows plummet in May, says Lipper FMI

11 Jul 2011

Equity fund flows dropped dramatically in May as investors turned to money market products, according to the latest report from Lipper FMI.
Charges hit returns on Castlestone gold fund

Fund Strategy - 11 July 2011

Castlestone’s Aliquot Gold Bullion fund has underperformed under the weight of unusually high charges, fund factsheets reveal.
Co-founder leaves Distinction

8 Jul 2011

Patrick Cooper has resigned from Harrington Cooper, the fund distribution firm he co-founded, and Distinction Asset Management, its joint venture with Armstrong Investment Managers.
Producer output inflation reaches 32-month high, ONS says

8 Jul 2011

Producer output price inflation in the UK reached a 32-month high of 5.7% in June, according to the latest results from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Standard Life to raise fees on several funds

8 Jul 2011

Standard Life Investments will raise fees on seven retail and two institutional funds, while other asset managers move towards low cost funds.
UK economy grew 0.1% in second quarter, Niesr says

8 Jul 2011

The UK economy grew by 0.1% in the three months ending June, down from 0.5% in the previous quarter, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr).
ECB removes requirements for Portugal debt collateral

8 Jul 2011

The European Central Bank (ECB) has voted to remove the minimum requirements for accepting debt collateral from Portugal.
ECB raises rates to 1.5%

7 Jul 2011

The European Central Bank (ECB) confirmed a second interest rate rise on the same day the Bank of England (BoE) voted to keep UK rates at their current level.
Insynergy signs distribution deal with Halifax

7 Jul 2011

Insynergy Investment Management has confirmed that it will enter into a distribution partnership with Halifax Share Dealing.
Credit rating agencies under fire

7 Jul 2011

The role of credit rating agencies has been further called into question after Portugal hit back against the decision to downgrade its status to junk.
Lagarde hails courageous bailout states

7 Jul 2011

Christine Lagarde, the new managing director of the IMF, has spoken of the “inspiration” Greece can draw from the “courageous decisions” made by Ireland and Portugal.
Japan approves second emergency budget

6 Jul 2011

The Japanese government has approved a ¥2 trillion (£15.4 billion) budget to cover the effects of the March earthquake and tsunami.
Banks meet to renegotiate terms of Greek rollover

6 Jul 2011

Eurozone banks will meet again in Paris today in an attempt to renegotiate the terms of a restructuring of Greek debt.
Euro falls after Portuguese downgrade

6 Jul 2011

The euro continued to fall against other major currencies after Portugal’s debt rating was cut by Moody’s ratings agency today.
Moody’s downgrade Portuguese debt to junk status

6 Jul 2011

Portugal’s debt has been downgraded to junk status by credit ratings agency Moody’s today.
Merchant Capital launches first Ucits fund

5 Jul 2011

Merchant Capital has launched a new Ucits fund concerned with large cap equities in the markets of states of the former Soviet Union.
Merrill Lynch bullish on equities but warns of 'turbulent' Q3

5 Jul 2011

Merrill Lynch remains bullish on equities after better than expected results from Japan and the recent austerity measures passed by the Greek government.
One in 10 insurers fail European stress test

5 Jul 2011

One in 10 European insurers would be incapable of meeting minimum capital requirements if faced with another financial crisis, according to the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA).
Lagarde begins new IMF role

5 Jul 2011

Christine Lagarde takes over as the managing director of the IMF today.
Goldmans Sachs ups Japan position

4 Jul 2011

Goldman Sachs is strengthening its position in Japan in anticipation of increased demand for debt financing following March’s earthquake.
French proposals amount to a Greek default, says S&P

4 Jul 2011

Greece may be placed in ‘selective default’ (SD) if bondholders are allowed to roll over their debt, according to Standard and Poor’s (S&P).
BlackRock on RDR: Look to parallels with US reforms

28 Jun 2011

BlackRock, the US asset management giant, is looking to parallels with the US’s recent financial reforms to help prepare for the retail distribution review (RDR), the UK’s new regulatory regime for financial advice.
RWC launches Asia Convertibles fund

27 Jun 2011

RWC Partners today confirmed the launch an Asia Convertibles fund for Davide Basile and his team.
Castle Trust completes round of senior hires

27 Jun 2011

Castle Trust, the property specialist, has appointed Keith Abercromby as its chief financial officer.
Skandia receives approval for fund mergers

27 Jun 2011

Skandia will merge a number of its smaller funds into larger ones, having received shareholder approval last week.
Bloxham global fund looks to US

23 Jun 2011

The Elite Bloxham Global Equity fund is seeking to increase its exposure to the American equity market by reducing the portfolio’s cash position.
Burstow rejoins Barings

23 Jun 2011

Clive Burstow has rejoined Barings Asset Management as the director and resources investment manager for the global energy and materials team.
Ingenious invests in Titans of Cricket

23 Jun 2011

Ingenious Ventures has invested £2m in a new arena-based live cricket event, Titans of Cricket, through venture capital trusts that help finance live events.
Vanguard unveils LifeStrategy fund range

23 Jun 2011

Vanguard has today confirmed the launch of a range of five mixed global equity and UK bond funds.
Axa hires healthcare specialist

22 Jun 2011

Axa Investment Managers has appointed Linden Thomson as a portfolio manager for the Framlington Healthcare team.
Greek default is “inevitable”, says Harvard professor

22 Jun 2011

A Greek default is inevitable, says Martin Feldstein, a professor of economics at Harvard University.
Man Group launches fettered Ucits fund

22 Jun 2011

Man Group has today launched the first combined Ucits fund since the group’s acquisition of GLG Partners in 2010.
European contagion could spread to US, says Fitch

21 Jun 2011

US prime money market funds have sizable exposures to European financial institutions, putting both parties at risk, warned Fitch Ratings today.
Fairfax unveils plans for US agricultural fund

21 Jun 2011

Fairfax I.S. is looking to launch an agricultural fund next month that is backed by physical farming assets in the US.
Gemini Indian fund looks to infrastructure projects

21 Jun 2011

The best way to take advantage of India’s ongoing infrastructure boom is not through the construction sector, according to Nitin Rakesh, the chief executive officer of Mumbai-based Motilal Oswal Asset Management and manager of the Gemini MOSt India fund.
iShares launches EM currency ETF

21 Jun 2011

iShares has expanded its fixed income range with the launch of the iShares Barclays Capital Emerging Market Local Government Bond fund.
Alliance Trust hires head of global equities

21 Jun 2011

Alliance Trust has appointed Ilario Di Bon as the new head of global equities for the group.
Bank of England defends monetary policy

21 Jun 2011

Paul Fisher, the Bank of England’s executive director for markets, has defended the bank’s decision not to tighten monetary policy when price shocks first caused inflation to exceed the bank’s targets.
Gold ETPs see continued inflows

20 Jun 2011

Gold exchange traded products (ETPs) have experienced the third consecutive week of inflows as the threat of contagion from Greece continues to shake investor confidence.
Moody’s downgrades Japan’s largest electric provider

20 Jun 2011

Moody’s has downgraded the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) as it struggles with £7.7 billion in losses resulting from the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster.
Coal shortage impedes India’s energy sector

20 Jun 2011

India’s primary energy sector is losing investor interest as it is hit by rising import prices and reduced domestic production of coal, says Fitch Ratings.
Energy group to launch corporate bond

20 Jun 2011

The Wind Prospect Group has launched a corporate retail bond which will remain open for an eight-week period.
Contagion fears grow over Greek debt risks

Fund Strategy - 20 June 2011

Fears grew of contagion from Greece’s financial crisis last week after a ratings agency reviewed French banks over their exposure and investors demanded higher yields on Spain’s debt.
Report praises India for efforts to boost growth

Fund Strategy - 20 June 2011

India’s potential for growth is higher than ever, the Organisation for Co-operation and Development (OECD) says.
IMF maintains 4.3% 2011 growth forecast

17 Jun 2011

Global growth estimates remain largely unchanged despite weaknesses presented by Japan and the US says the IMF.
French FSA: Eurozone may be at “beginning of the end”

17 Jun 2011

Greece’s financial troubles could signal “the beginning of the end” of the eurozone if a restructuring of its debt is allowed to go ahead.
Castlestone to appoint new director

17 Jun 2011

Castlestone will appoint Mark Carter to replace Ron Lask as a director of the company with effect from October 20, 2011
Euro crisis heightened as deficit replaces surplus

17 Jun 2011

The eurozone has recorded a €4.1 billion (£3.6 billion) trade deficit with the rest of the world for April, down from a €1.6 billion surplus in March.
Greek finance chief replaced after new bailout

17 Jun 2011

George Papandreou, the Greek president, has replaced his finance minister after agreeing a new bailout deal with the country’s partners.
Ireland demands leadership

17 Jun 2011

The Irish government has asked European leaders to lead, saying Ireland is undergoing a financial crisis and not a “socio-political experiment to see how far the Irish people can be pushed, how much they can take.”
Peter Hicks to leave Fidelity

17 Jun 2011

Fidelity has confirmed that a number of staff members will be changing roles as part of an internal reshuffle.
Spain's future will be dominated by borrowing costs

16 Jun 2011

Spain may still be in serious trouble after a disappointing bond auction today demonstrated the long term complications set to arise from its borrowing costs.
FundQuest on RDR: An opportunity missed

16 Jun 2011

BNP Paribas’ FundQuest plans to respond to the implementation of the retail distribution review (RDR) by considering ‘salami slicing’ its various different departments and increasing its outsourcing capabilities.
End of QE2 to have negligible effect on US economy, says Wade

16 Jun 2011

The end of the second round of quantative easing will not have much effect on the US economy, says Keith Wade, the chief economist and strategist for Schroders.
Managers clash on UK banks

16 Jun 2011

The UK housing market is still in a bubble which could hurt UK banks, the head of SVM Asset Management has said, although other UK equity managers are now more optimistic on banks and domestic stocks.
ECB warns on eurozone contagion

16 Jun 2011

Contagion stemming from Greece into the banking system is the greatest risk to European financial stability, says Vitor Constancio, the vice president of the European Central Bank (ECB).
Voluntary extensions on Greek debt “highly contrived”, says Roubini

16 Jun 2011

Applying a Vienna Initiative approach to Greek debt could prove “outright destructive”, warns Nouriel Roubini, the chairman of Roubini Global Economics.
Interest rates should be kept at 0.5%, says King

16 Jun 2011

Interest rates should be kept at their current levels since current inflationary pressures are just temporary, says Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England.
SCM Private launches low cost bond fund

16 Jun 2011

SCM Private, the boutique co-run by Alan Miller, the former chief investment officer of New Star, has marked its two year anniversary with the launch a new low cost bond portfolio.
India raises rates for 10th time in 15 months

16 Jun 2011

India has raised interest rates for the 10th time in 15 months in response to “uncomfortable levels” of inflation.
Greek PM reshuffles cabinet

16 Jun 2011

George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, will today announce a new cabinet as he tries to appease protestors against the troubled country’s spending cuts.
Ireland may restructure senior bank debt

16 Jun 2011

Ireland could restructure the senior debt of its banks, the Irish finance minister says, after it previously limited restructuring to junior debt.
Aviva US equity fund to launch overweight in consumer staples

16 Jun 2011

The Aviva American Equity fund will have a strong emphasis on consumer staples whilst staying underweight on financials when it launches next month.
Highbridge adds sterling share class to commodity fund

15 Jun 2011

Highbridge Capital Management has introduced a sterling hedged share class to the Highbridge Diversified Commodities fund following investor demand.
US inflation surpasses expectations

15 Jun 2011

US inflation grew at a faster rate than expected in May as consumers were hit by higher food, clothing and vehicle costs.
OECD unemployment drops slightly in April

15 Jun 2011

The unemployment rate for the OECD area dropped to 8.1% in April, continuing what is described as a “steady decline.”
US debt may hit Greek levels by 2030, says Fed

15 Jun 2011

The US government could owe as much as 146% of GDP by 2030, the level state debt is due to hit in Greece, warns Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Glencore denies bid for ENRC

15 Jun 2011

Glencore has denied it is planning a bid for European Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC), the Kazakh mining conglomerate.
Moody’s reviews French banks over Greece

15 Jun 2011

Moody’s, the credit ratings agency, has today reviewed Credit Agricole, BNP Paribas and Société Générale, the French banks, for a possible downgrade because of their high exposure to the Greek economy.
Henderson’s Patel and Apel to share gilt fund duties

14 Jun 2011

Mitul Patel and Phillip Apel, managers at Henderson Global Investors, will now share responsibility for the Gartmore and Jessop UK Long Dated Gilt funds, according to Trustnet.
Fuel subsidies stunting Indian growth, says OECD

14 Jun 2011

The OECD has called on India to phase out diesel subsidies to improve its chances of “sustained and socially inclusive double-digit growth”.
Cautious Managed is May best seller

14 Jun 2011

Cautious Managed was the most popular selling fund sector among independent financial advisers in May, according to the latest results from Fidelity FundsNetwork.
Developed world growth slows in April

14 Jun 2011

Growth in major economies slowed in April, the OECD confirmed today.
IMF deems Fischer too old for top post

14 Jun 2011

The IMF has blocked the application of Stanley Fischer, the governor of the Bank of Israel, to be its managing director, saying he is too old for the post.
Polar Capital sees AUM surge

14 Jun 2011

Polar Capital says it has seen a surge in its assets under management (AUM) in its preliminary results for the year ending March 31.
Roubini warns of eurozone break-up

14 Jun 2011

Nouriel Roubini, the chairman of Roubini Global Economics known also by his popular nickname “Dr Doom”, has warned the eurozone will break up if it fails to find a more radical solution to its current problems.
Inflation hitting poorest hardest, says IFS

14 Jun 2011

Inflation has affected those on lower incomes worse than those on higher incomes, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
S&P gives Greece worst sovereign rating

14 Jun 2011

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) yesterday downgraded Greece to CCC - the worst sovereign rating in the world.
Glencore reports surge in Q1 profits

14 Jun 2011

Glencore International has recorded a surge in profits for the first quarter, largely driven by its energy and agriculture divisions.
Fidelity fund keeps US and UK debt despite poor yields

13 Jun 2011

Andy Weir, the portfolio manager of the Fidelity Funds Global Inflation Linked Bond fund, has opted to retain overweight positions in US and UK inflation-linked debt despite poor yields.
New Star IT is relegated for lack of liquidity

13 Jun 2011

The New Star investment trust has been relegated from the FTSE All-Share and Small Cap indices of British stocks after failing liquidity tests.
M&G appoints technical development director

13 Jun 2011

M&G has appointed Julian Hince to the newly created position of technical development director.
US is halfway through lost decade, says Summers

13 Jun 2011

The US is now halfway through a “lost economic decade” similar to that experienced by Japan in the 1990s, according to Lawrence Summers, the former US Treasury secretary.
Brits lowering inflation predictions, says BoE

13 Jun 2011

UK consumers are lowering their long term expectations for inflation, according to the latest survey from the Bank of England (BoE).
Israel’s Fischer announces IMF candidacy

13 Jun 2011

Stanley Fischer, the governor of the Israeli central bank, publicly announced his intention to run for the managing director position at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday.The IMF’s executive board is considering successors to Dominique Strauss Kahn, who was forced to resign last month amid allegations of sexual assault.
Maple names firms in play for London bourse

13 Jun 2011

The Maple Group Acquisition Corporation has added a further four companies to its bid for the TMX Group as it challenges the London Stock Exchange’s $3 billion (£1.8 billion) friendly offer.
Expected inflation “anchored” to BoE target, minutes say

13 Jun 2011

Expectations of long-term inflation remain reasonably well anchored to Britain’s 2% target, the Bank of England (BoE) says, despite missing the target every calendar year since 2005.
Chinese money supply at lowest since 2008

13 Jun 2011

The growth in China’s money supply slowed to its lowest levels since December 2008 in May as banks also gave out fewer new loans than anticipated.
New Star trust is relegated for lack of liquidity

Fund Strategy - 13 June 2011

The New Star investment trust has been relegated from the FTSE All-Share and Small Cap indices of British stocks after failing liquidity tests.
Ireland’s finance minister during crisis passes away

10 Jun 2011

Brian Lenihan, the former Irish finance minister, died today at the age of 52.
Martin Currie trust starts selling off private equity

10 Jun 2011

The Martin Currie Portfolio investment trust has started implementing its plan to remove private equity from its list of investments, according to the interim management statement.
Cautious Managed sector top seller for May

10 Jun 2011

Cautious Managed remained the top selling sector for May, according to the latest sales figures released by Cofunds.
Anglo Irish Bank considers sale of US property portfolio

10 Jun 2011

Anglo Irish Bank (AIB) may be close to selling off its entire $10 billion (£6 billion) portfolio of US commercial real-estate loans, reports The Wall Street Journal.
China’s posts smaller than expected trade surplus

10 Jun 2011

China’s trade surplus continues to grow, albeit at a slower than anticipated rate, as it attempts to reduce a dependence on exports.
Jean-Claude Trichet rules out Greek debt extension

10 Jun 2011

European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet has clashed with German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble in rejecting any form of voluntary bondholder participation.
$150 oil would spark US double-dip recession, says Vanguard

9 Jun 2011

The US will plunge into a double dip recession if the price of oil reaches $150 barrel, according to the chief investment officer at Vanguard, the American fund group.
Vanguard unveils expansion plans

9 Jun 2011

Vanguard Asset Management will continue to expand their fund range across the remainder of 2011.
1.5m Brits only hold shares in one firm

9 Jun 2011

About 1.5m investors currently only hold shares in one firm, according to a survey by Schroders.
Marlborough launches new fund for Giles Hargreave

8 Jun 2011

Marlborough Fund Managers has launched a fund for Giles Hargreave which aims to generate an income small and mid-sized UK stocks.
L&G to launch environmental index fund

8 Jun 2011

Legal & General Investments is to launch a fund on June 16 investing in a global environmental stockmarket index.
Hike tax or risk loss of confidence, IMF tells Japan

8 Jun 2011

Japan should increase its consumption tax to increase confidence in its public finances, says the International Monetary Fund (IMF), although hikes have historically proved a graveyard for Japanese politicians.
Emerging economies hitting “full capacity”, warns World Bank

8 Jun 2011

Developing economies are hitting “full capacity activity levels” and need to refocus their efforts, the World Bank has said.
PSigma global fund to target economic growth

7 Jun 2011

PSigma’s new £20m Global Equity fund will invest in stocks in proportion to the economic growth of the regions where they are listed, rather than their size in global indices.
Greece no longer excludes vote on reforms

7 Jun 2011

George Papandreou, the Greek president, is no longer excluding the idea of a referendum on Greece’s latest reform programme following its government debt crisis.
London Stock Exchange rival in talks over new deals

7 Jun 2011

The Maple Group Acquisition Corporation is in talks to add a further three financial services companies as it continues to challenge the London Stock Exchange’s offer for a Canadian bourse.
HSBC launch two local debt funds

6 Jun 2011

HSBC has launched two new funds investing in Asian and Latin American debt, including instruments denominated in local currencies.
Fund platforms see record gross Isa sales in April

6 Jun 2011

Fund platforms recorded their highest ever gross sales through Isas in April, according to the IMA, as Isas recorded solid sales around the end of the financial year.
Neuberger Berman launches US smaller companies fund

6 Jun 2011

Neuberger Berman has today announced its intention to launch a new fund investing in US smaller companies for its Dublin-based range.
Henderson to launch emerging markets currency fund

6 Jun 2011

Henderson Global Investors will launch a new Emerging Markets Currency fund later this year.
Greece restructuring “not an option”, says ECB official

6 Jun 2011

Debt restructuring is not an option for eurozone countries that have accepted the recent bailouts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU), a member of the European Central Bank (ECB) governing council has said.
Skandia Global Dynamic in US mid cap shift

6 Jun 2011

Skandia has awarded Lapides Asset Management a £45m mandate to invest in mid-sized US stocks for its Global Dynamic Equity fund.
IMF lends to Egypt after uprising

6 Jun 2011

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to lend Egypt $3 billion (£1.8 billion) in a bid to help the country secure financial stability.
Schroders appoints new head of Asian fixed income

3 Jun 2011

Schroders has confirmed the appointment of Rajeev De Mello as the head of Asian fixed income.
G7 bank assets to lag emerging rivals “by 2036”

3 Jun 2011

The size of the domestic banking sectors in the largest emerging markets will outstrip those of the largest developed economies in the next quarter of a century, according to a study from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Castlestone funds close temporarily to new money

2 Jun 2011

Three Castlestone Management funds will be temporarily unable to accept new subscriptions following a review by the Irish Central Bank.
China bank crisis unlikely, says report

2 Jun 2011

Despite its vulnerabilities, the Chinese banking system is unlikely to fall into crisis due to the buffers currently in place, according to the latest report from Exclusive Analysis.
Midas fund gets exposure to unwanted bank assets

2 Jun 2011

The CF Midas Balanced Income fund has broadened its exposure to less liquid investments and put money in funds that have bought unwanted assets from banks, according to its co-manager.
Ireland’s fund association to open offices in UK and US

2 Jun 2011

The Irish Funds Industry Association plans to open a series of representative offices in the UK and the US.
Analysis: Egypt since the uprising

1 Jun 2011

More than three months after protestors ousted Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, from power, Egypt continues to prepare for its first free elections in over 30 years in the autumn.
IMA responds to “torrent of criticism” over sectors

31 May 2011

The IMA has hit back against the “torrent of criticism” it received last week over the decision to re-label its managed fund sectors.
Lack of jobs ‘putting growth at risk’

31 May 2011

Countries in the developed world were given a stern warning last week that they should get their residents back into work or face severe consequences.
IMF faces greater ills than eurozone, warns Sachs

31 May 2011

The new leader of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must tackle core issues such as the declining role of the dollar rather than focusing excessively on the eurozone, says Jeffrey Sachs, the director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.
New manager revises Martin Currie Emerging Markets

31 May 2011

The new manager of the Martin Currie Emerging Markets fund has altered its portfolio in a bid to turn its long-term performance around.
Spain struggles as euro jobless stats unchanged

31 May 2011

The eurozone’s monthly unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.9% in April as members such as Spain struggle with record levels of youth unemployment.
Myners to be chairman at activist investor

31 May 2011

Paul Myners, the UK’s former City minister, has joined Cevian Capital, an activist investment firm, as a partner and the chairman of its UK operations.
Lack of jobs ‘putting growth at risk’

Fund Strategy - 30 May 2011

Countries in the developed world were given a stern warning last week that they should get their residents back into work or face severe consequences.
Martin Currie appoints Catechis to help fund

Fund Strategy - 30 May 2011

The new manager of the Martin Currie Emerging Markets fund has altered its portfolio in a bid to turn its long-term performance around.
Managed C could house more volatile funds, warns Armstrong

27 May 2011

The Investment Management Association’s decision to rename its managed fund sectors still fails to reflect the risks of some of their products, says Patrick Armstrong, a fund manager at Distinction.
Japan sees inflation as disasters hit supplies

27 May 2011

Japan’s core consumer price index (CPI) grew unusually fast on a year-on-year basis in April, after its recent earthquake and tsunami damaged supply routes.
New IMA sector labels bad for consumers, says Fidelity

27 May 2011

Fidelity International has slammed the new Investment Management Association (IMA) managed sector definitions, claiming they are now even harder for investors to understand.
Greece to default if IMF stops loans, warns minister

27 May 2011

Greece will default immediately if the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deems it insolvent in the long term and stops payments to the country on June 29, according to the chairman of the council for eurozone finance ministers.
AIG shares fall

26 May 2011

Shares in American International Group (AIG) fell to under $27.60 (£16.95) yesterday after the US Treasury began to withdraw financial support.
Greek commissioner hints at leaving euro

26 May 2011

Maria Damanaki has become the first senior European official to publicly announce that Greece could be forced to leave the eurozone following its debt crisis.
Man Group halves total dividend per share

26 May 2011

Man Group, the hedge fund manager, has halved the total dividend it will pay per share this year following the acquisition of GLG Partners.
Man Group announces changes to board

26 May 2011

Man Group is aiming to reshuffle its board at its next annual general meeting, partly subject to shareholder approval.
PSigma confirms global equity fund launch

25 May 2011

PSigma has confirmed it will launch a global equity fund on June 17, according to Trustnet.
S&P downgrades BlackRock fund in Japan review

25 May 2011

The BlackRock Japan Value fund was the only Japanese equity fund to be downgraded by Standard and Poor’s (S&P) in May, following their latest Japanese sector review.
Unemployment biggest worry for members, OECD says

25 May 2011

The greatest challenge facing OECD countries continues to be widespread unemployment, according to the OECD’s latest economic outlook.
Treasury begins AIG sell off

25 May 2011

The US Treasury sold off part of its stake in American International Group (AIG) yesterday as it attempts to return the insurer to independence and reclaim the 2008 bailout money.
Omam fund reveals details of industrials push

24 May 2011

The Old Mutual Asset Managers (Omam) UK Select Smaller Companies fund has revealed further details of its push into the industrials sector and away from the ailing UK consumer.
William Blair launches Emerging Leaders Growth fund

24 May 2011

William Blair Investment Management has confirmed the launch of the new Emerging Leaders Growth fund.
Glencore enters FTSE 100 on first day of listing

24 May 2011

Glencore has officially become the first company to enter the FTSE 100 on admission to the stockmarket in 25 years.
Merrion manager hires Martin Currie’s Sliwinski

24 May 2011

Midmar Capital, the manager of the Merrion European Absolute Return fund, has appointed Dariusz Sliwinski, the former head of emerging markets at Martin Currie, to its investment team.
East Asian bank lending reaching “critical points”

23 May 2011

Banks in east Asia are reaching “critical points in their ability to lend”, according to research from Citigroup, Fidelity and GLG.
Architas launches trio of multi-asset passive funds

23 May 2011

Architas has confirmed the details of the three additions to its multi-asset passive fund range.
Germany and France lead PMI growth

23 May 2011

Germany and France have both pulled ahead by demonstrating strong advancement in the eurozone’s monthly services and manufacturing PMI results, despite rising inflationary pressures.
GLG launches Global Sustainability Equity fund

23 May 2011

GLG Partners today confirmed the launch of the GLG Global Sustainability Equity fund.
IMF releases funds to Portugal

23 May 2011

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a €26 billion (£22.6 billion) loan for Portugal on Friday as part of the bailout for the financially troubled country.
Britain backs Lagarde for IMF

23 May 2011

Chancellor George Osborne will back Christine Lagarde, France’s finance minister, in her candidacy to run the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
SL Investment appoints new CEO

20 May 2011

SL Investment has appointed Paul Sands as the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) to replace Jeremy Brettell.
F&C Commercial Property trust reports rise in value

20 May 2011

The value of the F&C Commercial Property Trust’s (FCPT) portfolio’s increased by £12.98m over the first quarter of 2011, according to the firm’s latest statement.
US sees continued decline in new unemployment claims

19 May 2011

The US has experienced a 29,000 strong decline in the number of people making new unemployment claims this week.
Global recovery spurs bricks and mortar investment

19 May 2011

The manager of the Standard Life Select Property fund is moving towards an even split between direct and listed property investments as his optimism on direct property continues.
UK retail sales grow in April

19 May 2011

Retail sales in the UK grew in April owing to the royal wedding and warm weather, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.
Euro to remain a reserve currency, says World Bank

18 May 2011

The euro will still be one of the world’s three reserve currencies in 2025, the World Bank says, despite recent speculation the eurozone could collapse.
British employment up, says ONS

18 May 2011

Employment is up in Britain, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), although the number of long-term unemployed has increased and growth in earnings has shrunk.
MPC says inflation could hit 5%, minutes reveal

18 May 2011

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted six to three to keep rates at their record 0.5% low in May, the MPC’s latest minutes show.
Allied Irish Banks reshuffles management

17 May 2011

Allied Irish Banks (AIB) today outlined a new operating model and executive leadership team.
Growth expectations fading, says BofA ML survey

17 May 2011

Global growth expectations are fading, according to the latest Bank of America (BofA) Merrill Lynch fund manager survey for May.
Sales outside Aviva flat for fund arm in Q1

17 May 2011

Aviva Investors has announced its fund sales outside Aviva, its parent company, were roughly flat in the first quarter of this year.
Strauss-Kahn remanded in custody

17 May 2011

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has been remanded in custody following allegations of sexual assault.
IMF releases funds to Ireland

17 May 2011

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the first and second reviews of Ireland and concluded it is making “progress in overcoming the worst economic crisis in recent history”.
Babson Capital Europe hires Kam Tugnait

17 May 2011

Babson Capital Europe has appointed Kam Tugnait to the position of managing director.
Discrepancies may kill appetite for exchange-traded commodities

17 May 2011

Despite astonishing falls in commodity prices in recent weeks, investors’ appetite for exchange-traded commodity funds continues to eclipse their interest in alternative products.
US debt above limit for whole of May

16 May 2011

America’s government’s public debt remained above the highly contested “debt ceiling limit” for the entirety of May, according to the government’s Bureau of the Public Debt office.
Cautious Managed is April best seller on Cofunds

16 May 2011

Cautious Managed funds have retained their position as the top selling sector on Cofunds with 33% of net sales in April, according to the platform.
Apollo to launch two multi-asset funds

16 May 2011

Apollo Multi Asset Management has confirmed it will launch two new multi-asset funds in June.
Discrepancies may kill appetite for exchange-traded funds

Fund Strategy - 16 May 2011

Despite astonishing falls in commodity prices in recent weeks, investors’ appetite for exchange-traded commodity funds continues to eclipse their interest in alternative products.
LSE confirms TMX merger

13 May 2011

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has officially filed its application for its $3 billion (£1.8 billion) merger with Canada’s TMX Group on the same day the group reports a 22% increase in profits reached £341.1m.
German GDP growth exceeds expectations

13 May 2011

The German economy demonstrated a faster than predicted growth of 1.5% in the first quarter, beating that of France, Spain and Italy who also released their results today.
Nucleus reveals expansion plans

12 May 2011

Nucleus has unveiled plans to double the number of firms on its investment platform in the next 12 months and allow its users to trade in real time as early as next year.
European fund sales hit 10-month low

12 May 2011

European based funds saw €330m (£289m) of inflows in March, the worst since just after the Greek crisis broke last spring.
Retail funds making credit more volatile, says Fitch

12 May 2011

Retail funds are increasingly making credit markets more volatile in the short term as their approach to investment is more opportunistic, according to special report by Fitch Ratings today.
Earthquake hits Spain

12 May 2011

Investors demonstrated renewed jitteriness over Spain’s finances yesterday after it was struck by its deadliest earthquake in over 50 years.
Mirae reshuffles its Asia team

12 May 2011

Rahul Chadha will take over the management of the Asia Great Consumer Equity and Asia Sector Leader Equity funds at Mirae Asset Global Investors from Wilfred Sit.
AIC reports funding continuing “in earnest” for 2011

11 May 2011

Fund raising for investment trusts has “continued in earnest” in the first quarter of 2011, according to the Association of Investment Companies (AIC).
Ireland taxes pensions to fund job creation

11 May 2011

The Irish government says it is planning to tax private pension savings and spend the proceeds on a programme to create new jobs, while leaving its ultra-competitive rate of corporation tax unchanged.
Chinese inflation inches lower

11 May 2011

China’s consumer price index (CPI) inflation in April was down on March but has still exceeded the official government target of 4%, according to the latest results from the country’s statistics bureau.
Money run by Ingenious exceeds £1 billion

11 May 2011

Ingenious Asset Management has reported record growth as assets under management (AUM) passed the £1 billion mark.
AllianceBernstein launches new European fund

11 May 2011

AllianceBernstein today launched the European Flexible Equity Portfolio in a bid to preserve capital in adverse market conditions.
Aliquot fund to launch with top weight in gold

11 May 2011

The Aliquot Precious Metals fund will launch with gold as its largest investment, according to its manager Castlestone.
China posts higher trade surplus than expected

10 May 2011

China has reported a $11.4 billion (£6.98 billion) trade surplus for April, far exceeding expectations after the country posted its first quarterly trade deficit in almost seven years.
Spokesman defends denial over Greece meeting

10 May 2011

The spokesman for the president of the eurozone finance ministers’ committee has defended his decision to deny the group had met on Friday to discuss Greece’s financial crisis, the Wall Street Journal says.
Stability amid turmoil spurs interest in Saudi

10 May 2011

The spectre of violent revolts across the Middle East and North Africa has partly given way to renewed growth and “extremely compelling” valuations, according to investors.
Energy and natural resource funds see outflows, says EPFR

9 May 2011

One of the largest sell-offs in two years led to large outflows from natural resource and energy funds last week, EPFR says, despite overall inflows into equity funds.
Big Isa haul masks outflows from Asia and bonds

9 May 2011

Individual savings accounts (Isas) recorded their best sales in nine years over the run-up to the end of the financial year, according to the IMA.
HSBC shares fall after weak results

9 May 2011

Share prices in HSBC fell today after the bank released a disappointing set of first quarter results, reflecting a fall in pre-tax profits.
Natixis launches Euro High Income fund

9 May 2011

Natixis Global Asset Management has launched a Euro High Income fund, managed by Philippe Berthelot and Vincent Marioni.
German exports hit record high

9 May 2011

Germany has reported its highest rate of exports for March since records began in 1950.
Commodities start to recover

9 May 2011

Commodities prices are starting to recover after one of the largest sell-offs in two years hit valuations last week.
Greek bailout under review

9 May 2011

The terms of Greece’s bailout package are under review after it was determined that the current repayment conditions are unrealistic.
Jupiter’s Nutt enters Sunday Times Rich List

9 May 2011

Jupiter income fund manager Anthony Nutt has entered the Sunday Times Rich List this year with an estimated fortune of £76m.
Stability amid turmoil spurs interest in Saudi

Fund Strategy - 9 May 2011

The spectre of violent revolts across the Middle East and North Africa has partly given way to renewed growth and “extremely compelling” valuations, according to investors.
Financial regulation development facing “difficult challenges”, says Bernanke

6 May 2011

American financial regulators still have a lot of work to do “to better understand sources of systemic risk” says Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Franklin Templeton launches balanced emerging markets fund

6 May 2011

Franklin Templeton has announced the launch of the Templeton Emerging Markets Balanced fund.
Oil leads commodities plunge

6 May 2011

Brent crude could dip below $100 (£70) a barrel in London after one of the largest commodity sell-offs in two years shook the market yesterday.
Thames River fund goes overweight in European debt

5 May 2011

The Thames River Global High Yield Bond fund launched this week and has adopted an overweight position in the European high yield market.
Woolnough cuts duration of M&G Optimal Income

5 May 2011

The duration of the M&G Optimal Income fund has been reduced to 3.3 years in anticipation of yields on short-dated government bonds rising.
IMF agrees Portuguese bailout sum

5 May 2011

The IMF has agreed to a €28 billion (£25.3 billion) extended fund facility arrangement for Portugal today, says Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
European Central Bank holds rates

5 May 2011

The European Central Bank (ECB) has elected to keep interest rates at their current level of 1.25%, despite concerns over high inflation.
Glencore valued at $56-66 billion after listing

4 May 2011

Glencore, one of the world’s largest traders in natural resources, is expecting to value itself at $48-58 billion (£29-35 billion) before listing and $56-66 billion afterwards later this month.
India to extend trading in gold ETFs

4 May 2011

The Bombay and National Stock Exchanges will extend trading hours for exchange traded funds (ETFs) investing in gold, in celebration of the Hindu holy day Akshaya Tritiya.
Pimco’s Gross warns on ‘repressed’ US federal debt

4 May 2011

American investors should look to global government debt rather than face a domestic market which is being “repressed”, says Bill Gross, the managing director of Pimco.
Weak money supply hits rate rise talk

4 May 2011

Britain’s broad supply of money is dwindling, according to the Bank of England, which may reduce the possibility of a rise in interest rates tomorrow.
Platinum sector undervalued, says BlackRock’s Hambro

4 May 2011

The platinum sector continues to look undervalued in the wake of the environmental disasters that struck Japan in March, says Evy Hambro, the manager of the £3 billion BlackRock Gold & General fund.
Swip appoints high yield analyst

4 May 2011

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip) has appointed Julia Campbell to the role of senior high yield analyst.
Invesco and M&G dominate Isa sales

4 May 2011

Invesco and M&G obtained the highest concentration of sales through Isas across fund platforms in the quarter leading up to the end of the financial year, according to the latest figures.
India raises interest rates

3 May 2011

India today raised short-term lending and borrowing rates, citing surging global commodity prices and inflationary concerns.
Unicorn to steer clear of large British banks

3 May 2011

?Unicorn Asset Management has said it will avoid investing in the larger British banks after “purging” the sector from its Outstanding British Companies and UK Income funds.
Invesco and M&G dominate Isa sales

Fund Strategy - 2 May 2011

Invesco and M&G obtained the highest concentration of sales through Isas across fund platforms in the quarter leading up to the end of the financial year, according to the latest figures.
Unicorn to steer clear of large British banks

Fund Strategy - 2 May 2011

U?nicorn Asset Management has said it will avoid investing in the larger British banks after “purging” the sector from its Outstanding British Companies and UK Income funds.
Investment fund assets rose in Q4, says Efama

28 Apr 2011

Investment fund assets rose by 6.5% in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the latest quarterly international statistical release from the European Fund and Asset Management Association (Efama).
Witan Pacific trust raises dividend

28 Apr 2011

The Witan Pacific Investment Trust has raised its final dividend after posting positive results for the year.
Santandar blames regulatory changes for disappointing UK results

28 Apr 2011

Spanish bank Santander has blamed disappointing performance in Britain on the adoption of “certain local regulatory changes” in its first quarter results, released today.
US equities soar as dollar falls

28 Apr 2011

The Nasdaq index leapt to its highest level in 10 years following the announcement by the Federal Reserve yesterday that interest rates would remain unchanged.
Greek bonds reach new all-time high

28 Apr 2011

Greek government debt continued to reach new extremes yesterday as it was announced the yield on two year bonds had reached 27%.
America could hit China with 2012 bust, firm warns

27 Apr 2011

America could face a bust in 2012 after booming this year, which could reinforce a similar boom-bust scenario for China, according to Lombard Street Research.
Fidelity proposes fund merger

27 Apr 2011

Fidelity will merge its Growth & Income fund into its MoneyBuilder Growth fund if investors approve the move next month, the firm says.
Pimco launches two emerging market funds

27 Apr 2011

Pimco has today launched two new actively managed funds with a focus on emerging markets.
RBS calls for more dynamic management

27 Apr 2011

Many of the funds in the cautious and balanced managed sectors need to be managed more dynamically to control risk during volatile periods, according to the latest research from RBS.
Greek restructuring “may be worse than Lehman”

27 Apr 2011

A restructuring of the Greek debt would have a worse effect on global markets than the collapse of Lehman Brothers, says José Manuel González Paramo, a member of the executive board of the European Central Bank.
European banks find favour with managers

27 Apr 2011

Managers of European equity funds have upped their exposure to European financials this year despite the ongoing crisis in the eurozone, according to the latest data.
American consumer confidence rises in April

26 Apr 2011

American consumers’ confidence increased in April as expectations that inflation would increase cooled off and the job market continued to improve.
Greek deficit 30% higher than predicted

26 Apr 2011

Greece’s budget deficit for 2010 has been revised up to 10.5% by Eurostat today, far in excess of the 8.1% prediction made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in early 2010.
Caughey takes over Swip fund as Mackay departs

26 Apr 2011

Graeme Caughey has become the sole manager of the Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip) Sterling Bond Plus fund after Sebastian Mackay’s departure from the firm.
Portugal may offer junk bonds as bailout collateral

26 Apr 2011

Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), has not ruled out the possibility of Portugal offering junk bonds as collateral as the terms of its bailout remain unclear.
SLI to soft close Nimmo’s smaller companies fund

26 Apr 2011

Standard Life Investments (SLI) has confirmed it intends to soft-close its UK Smaller Companies fund
Value of gold and silver falls

26 Apr 2011

The price of gold and silver continued to fall today, having reached record highs over the bank holiday.
European banks find favour with managers

Fund Strategy - 25 April 2011

Managers of European equity funds have upped their exposure to European financials this year despite the ongoing crisis in the eurozone, according to the latest data.
SVG’s NAV jumps 11%

21 Apr 2011

SVG Capital has recorded an 11% growth in net asset value (NAV) for the first quarter of 2011, according to the latest interim management statement released by the firm.
Gold price breaks $1,500

20 Apr 2011

The price of gold reached a record-breaking $1,500 per 100 ounces today following news of America’s downgrade and concerns over sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone.
Santander launches two new funds

19 Apr 2011

Santander Asset Management UK has launched two funds, a multi-manager global emerging market equity fund and a dividend income portfolio.
Developed stocks best placed, says M&G’s Fishwick

19 Apr 2011

Developed market stocks will enjoy a particularly positive outlook over the near future, says Dave Fishwick, the head of macro and equities investment at M&G.
Goldman Sachs posts lower than expected fall in profits

19 Apr 2011

Goldman Sachs announced a 21% drop in profits in the first quarter of this year, although the bank’s earnings per share nearly doubled analysts’ expectations.
Spanish debt costs near record highs

19 Apr 2011

The difference between the yield on German and Spanish government debt has approached a euro-era record, according to Eurointelligence, as uncertainty grew over financially troubled eurozone nations like Spain.
Policy forces managers to shun cash in favour of stocks

19 Apr 2011

Stockmarkets remain volatile as fund managers repeatedly neglect cash investments in favour of equities, leading to temporary overheating and falls, according to a recent survey.
Investors strive to outfox oil price ‘contango’ effect

19 Apr 2011

For many years investors have used derivatives as a way of hedging themselves against rising commodity prices.
Hedge funds of funds assets halve

18 Apr 2011

The average size of hedge funds of funds has fallen by more than half since 2008, according to the latest research from Prequin.
UK fixed interest fund sales in decline, says Skandia

18 Apr 2011

The popularity of UK fixed interest funds is in decline, according to Skandia’s latest investment trends survey for the first quarter of 2011.
Ora joins Pictet Asset Management

18 Apr 2011

Pictet Asset Management has appointed Avo Ora to the position of senior investment manager for the emerging markets equity team.
Investors strive to outfox oil price ‘contango’ effect

Fund Strategy - 18 April 2011

For many years investors have used derivatives as a way of hedging themselves against rising commodity prices.
Platforms reveal last year's best sellers

Fund Strategy - 18 April 2011

Three of Britain’s largest fund platforms have revealed the types of Isas that sold best in the run-up to the end of the financial year.
Policy forces managers to shun cash in favour of stocks

Fund Strategy - 18 April 2011

Stockmarkets remain volatile as fund managers repeatedly neglect cash investments in favour of equities, leading to temporary overheating and falls, according to a recent survey.
Neuberger Berman announces biggest trust listing this year

15 Apr 2011

The Neuberger Berman Global Floating Rate Income fund has listed on the London Stock Exchange, in the largest investment trust launch of the year so far.
Bank of America profits fall by over a third

15 Apr 2011

Bank of America suffered a 36% decline in profits for the first quarter based on mortgage-related costs and higher litigation expenses.
Bond yields soar as Greek debt plans loom

15 Apr 2011

Greek, Irish and Portuguese 10-year bond yields were up at the end of yesterday and remained high this morning as concerns over the financially troubled countries were felt across markets.
Platforms reveal Isa bestsellers

15 Apr 2011

Fund supermarkets Fidelity FundsNetwork and Cofunds have revealed which areas of the funds market sold best through individual savings accounts (Isas) in the run up to the end of the financial year.
Moody’s downgrades Ireland

15 Apr 2011

Moody’s has cut Ireland’s credit rating by two levels to the lowest investment grade rating, following the results of the stress tests applied to its banking system last week.
China posts better than expected growth

15 Apr 2011

China has posted better than expected GDP growth for the first quarter despite inflation levels continuing to climb.
Spain backtracks on its Chinese investment claims

15 Apr 2011

Spain’s government has been forced to backtrack on an announcement that China was about to pour money into the nation’s fragile savings banks, or cajas.
Food prices soar 36% on Middle East unrest

14 Apr 2011

Food prices have soared 36% above their levels a year ago, fuelled partly by unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, the World Bank says.
Obama unveils budget reform plans

14 Apr 2011

President Barack Obama has unveiled a series of proposals to bring America’s deficit down from more than 9% of GDP to 2.5% by 2015.
Vickers’s impact on bank ratings mixed, says Moody’s

13 Apr 2011

British banks are likely to see changes to the way their credit ratings are calculated if the sector is reformed in line with recent recommendations by the Independent Commission on Banking, according to Moody’s.
Liontrust sells credit business to Avoca for £3.2m

13 Apr 2011

Liontrust is to sell off its credit business to Avoca Capital Holdings for £3.2m.
Cash holdings near “sell signal level”, BofA ML warns

12 Apr 2011

Cash holdings have sunk to a point which has previously precipitated a decline in equities, Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML) warns.
Skandia confirms Equity Income revamp

12 Apr 2011

Skandia Investment Group has confirmed it is transforming its Equity Income fund into a global equity income portfolio run by O’Shaughnessy Asset Management.
Allied Irish posts €10.2 billion loss

12 Apr 2011

Allied Irish Banks (AIB) made a loss of €10.2 billion (£9 billion) before tax last year as Ireland fell victim to the eurozone debt crisis.
Alliance Trust rejects activist pleas

12 Apr 2011

Alliance Trust has rejected calls from Laxey, an activist investor, to take a stricter approach to controlling the discount at which the trust’s shares trade.
US stocks recovering from near-shutdown

11 Apr 2011

American stocks are recovering after falling to their lowest level in weeks on Friday as the government dithered on agreeing a budget and averting a shutdown.
iShares launches first physical metal products

11 Apr 2011

iShares has today launched its first range of physically backed exchange traded commodities (ETCs), offering exposure to gold, platinum, silver and palladium.
Iceland rejects Icesave deal

11 Apr 2011

Iceland has once again rejected a deal that would see Britain and the Netherlands reimbursed for money lost during the collapse of the country’s banking system in 2008.
Nearly half of Irish CEOs would restructure banks’ debt

11 Apr 2011

Nearly half of the chief executives for Ireland’s top 200 companies say the country’s banks should restructure their debts, according to a survey.
Cautious Managed among top Cofunds Isa rankings

11 Apr 2011

The Cautious Managed, UK Equity Income and £ Strategic Bond sectors enjoyed the highest gross sales through individual savings accounts (Isas) on the Cofunds platform over the financial year ending last week.
Large American weighting for new Henderson trust

11 Apr 2011

?Henderson’s International Income investment trust will be launched next week, with its largest weighting in North American stocks, the firm has said.
Cautious Managed among top Cofunds Isa rankings

Fund Strategy - 11 April 2011

The Cautious Managed, UK Equity Income and £ Strategic Bond sectors enjoyed the highest gross sales through individual savings accounts (Isas) on the Cofunds platform over the financial year ending last week.
Fears for Spain after Portugal’s plea

Fund Strategy - 11 April 2011

Fears have grown over whether Spain will become the next victim of the eurozone debt crisis after Port-ugal, its financially troubled neighbour, asked for a bail-out last week and the European Central Bank (ECB) raised interest rates off record lows.
Old Mutual fund switches to international firms

Fund Strategy - 11 April 2011

The £538m Old Mutual UK Select Smaller Companies fund has cut down on domestic consumer services stocks and bought into international industrial stocks as Britain continues to struggle against other leading economies.
European funds enjoy large inflows, says EPFR

8 Apr 2011

Despite concerns among investors regarding eurozone debt, flows into Europe equity funds have climbed to a seven week high, according to data from EPFR.
Higher energy costs push up UK producer prices

8 Apr 2011

Producer prices in Britain have risen more sharply than expected, largely as a consequence of the recent leap in energy costs.
Sterling climbs to January high versus the dollar

8 Apr 2011

Sterling has climbed to its highest rate against the dollar since January 2010 today, whilst falling against the euro.
Barings hires head of Asian debt

7 Apr 2011

Thomas Kwan is to join Baring Asset Management in the role of head of Asian debt in Hong Kong.
ECB needs to hike rates again, say experts

7 Apr 2011

The European Central Bank (ECB) should follow up its interest rate rise today with further hikes if the eurozone is to keep inflation below its 2% target, economists and strategists argued today.
Gartmore’s Anderson joins JP Morgan

7 Apr 2011

John Anderson, the former head of credit at Gartmore, is joining JP Morgan Asset Management as manager of its £52.8m Sterling Corporate Bond fund.
Trade to grow faster than average, says WTO

7 Apr 2011

World trade will grow by more than average in 2011, but at less than half of the record breaking 14.5% rate in 2010, according to the latest report from the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
PSigma plans global equity fund

7 Apr 2011

PSigma plans to launch a Global Equity fund later this year and has already secured £20m from investors.
New Henderson trust looks to America

7 Apr 2011

Henderson’s International Income Trust will launch next week with an emphasis towards American equities.
Game to replace Donnigan at Axa Fram

6 Apr 2011

Deane Donnigan, the manager of Axa Framlington’s Health and Biotech funds, has left after 13 years with the firm and its predecessor Framlington.
Risky assets will be rewarded, says BofA

6 Apr 2011

Investors should keep money in risky assets as the world economy improves, says Bank of America’s (BofA’s) global asset allocation team.
Gold and silver prices hit new highs

6 Apr 2011

Gold and silver reached new highs today as investors sought out the traditional safe assets.
Central Bank of Ireland to authorise financial sector appointments

6 Apr 2011

The Central Bank of Ireland (CBoI) will have the final say on individuals considered for high profile jobs within the financial sector.
Omam UK small cap fund boosts international focus

6 Apr 2011

The £538m Old Mutual UK Select Smaller Companies fund has cut down on domestic consumer services stocks and bought into international industrial stocks as Britain continues to struggle against other leading economies.
Fidelity to roll out corporate wrap

5 Apr 2011

Fidelity will be rolling out a savings and investment plan supermarket for companies later this year, says Julian Webb, the head of platform sales, contrary to recent reports.
Longbow VCT exceeds £1m mark

5 Apr 2011

The Longbow Growth and Income Venture Capital Trust will proceed to investment, having successfully raised the minimum subscription capital of £1m.
Irish banks are broke, says LSR

4 Apr 2011

The Irish banking system is bust and has been placed at ‘extreme risk’ following official stress tests last week, according to Lombard Street Research (LSR).
Swip hires global equities head from BlackRock

4 Apr 2011

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (Swip) has hired William Low from BlackRock as its head of global equities.
John Laing trust to raise funds for British assets

4 Apr 2011

The John Laing Infrastructure fund has said it is issuing up to 26.73m new shares to buy four British assets worth £26.2m from John Laing Group.
Irish pensions to bear burden of bailout

4 Apr 2011

Ireland’s pension fund will fund the majority of the country’s contribution to its own bailout, according to the country’s Financial Measures Programme.
Test shows Irish banks face €24 billion funding gap

Fund Strategy - 4 April 2011

The Irish banking stress test has concluded that the country’s four main banks have a €24 billion (£21 billion) funding gap, capping off a week of bad news for the eurozone.
Morningstar and law firm offer KIID generation service

1 Apr 2011

The law firm Simmons & Simmons along with Morningstar UK are to provide an online service designed to help asset managers produce key investor information documents (KIIDs).
S&P lowers Ireland’s credit rating

1 Apr 2011

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has lowered Ireland’s sovereign credit rating to BBB+/A-2 but has simultaneously deemed the nation’s outlook to be stable.
Irish national output fell 25% in crisis, says LSR

1 Apr 2011

Ireland lost a quarter of its gross national product (GNP) in the financial crisis, far more than its GDP, after money left the country, according to Lombard Street Research (LSR).
Analysis: Are Ireland’s bank tests severe enough?

1 Apr 2011

Ireland has tested its banks against adverse economic and financial scenarios and ordered them to take action to guard against a further downturn. But are the stress tests stringent enough?
Irish banks to sell UK and overseas assets

1 Apr 2011

Allied Irish Banks (AIB) and the Bank of Ireland (BOI) will sell off assets that have no links to Ireland, including interests in Britain, following the country’s stress tests yesterday.
Euro inflation now further above target, says Eurostat

31 Mar 2011

Annual inflation in the eurozone is expected to exceed the European Central Bank’s (ECB’s) target even further in March, according to a flash estimate from Eurostat.
Schroders launches fifth Gaia fund

31 Mar 2011

Schroders says it is launching a fifth fund, from London hedge fund manager CQS, on its alternative platform.
Anglo Irish Bank posts worst results in Irish history

31 Mar 2011

Anglo Irish Bank has posted the worst financial results in the nation’s history, beating its own record for pre-tax earnings.
Aviva hires multi-managers to run ranges in-house

31 Mar 2011

Aviva Investors has hired Ian Aylward and Peter Fitzgerald to run its multi-manager investments in house.
Bank of Spain says unemployment to worsen

31 Mar 2011

The Bank of Spain has predicted the nation’s unemployment rate will worsen this year, eating further into Spain’s troubled public finances.
First UK equity income offering from L&G

31 Mar 2011

Legal & General Investment Management (L&G) have today launched their first UK equity income fund.
HSBC appoints head of business strategy

30 Mar 2011

HSBC has appointed Vikramaaditya to the position of head of business strategy for the global asset management division.
North America fund sales highest ever, says IMA

30 Mar 2011

North America and Absolute Return swooped back to the top of the IMA sector sales charts for February, although Japan also saw strong inflows just before its recent earthquake.
Inflows return to global equity funds, reports EPFR

30 Mar 2011

EPFR reports that inflows are returning to global equity funds after improvements in the situations in Japan and the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) states
Egyptian market to resume normal trading hours

30 Mar 2011

The Egyptian stockmarket will resume normal trading hours from Sunday, more than a week after it re-opened.
Liontrust reports third quarter of net inflows

30 Mar 2011

Liontrust Asset Management has reported £39m of net inflows for the first quarter of 2011.
UK food retailers can beat inflation, says White

29 Mar 2011

Chris White, the manager of Premier’s UK income funds, says food retailers may defend investors best against inflation, despite concerns they cannot pass on higher costs to their customers.
Architas announces new manager investments

29 Mar 2011

Architas has awarded two new investment mandates to Majedie Investments and TT International to boost its funds’ exposure to British stocks.
Japan hit by higher energy bills

29 Mar 2011

Energy charges for Japanese households increased 12.9% prior to the earthquake, heightening fears the vulnerable Japanese consumer may be squeezed even further after the disaster.
UK revises up Q4 GDP

29 Mar 2011

British GDP contracted less in the fourth quarter than previously estimated, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Man's AHL funds “sharply down” after earthquake

29 Mar 2011

Man Group said “performance turned sharply down” in its AHL flagship fund as a result of the recent Japanese earthquake in a trading statement today.
Irish Life & Permanent may seek bailout

29 Mar 2011

Lenders Irish Life & Permanent (IL&P) may have to seek a government bailout after the Central Bank’s new liquidity stress test this week.
Cautious investors lose more than expected, says RBS

28 Mar 2011

Investors are prepared to lose only 9.5% of their money in a Cautious Managed fund, although the funds’ average maximum loss during their worst moments in the last three years was closer to 24%, according to the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).
China introduces drug price caps to curb inflation

28 Mar 2011

In a bid to control the nation’s spiralling inflation, China will cap the maximum retail price for over 1,200 types of medicines.
Euro falls after Merkel defeat

28 Mar 2011

Both euro and German government debt fell today following the news Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, lost in the Baden-Wuerttemberg state elections.
Aberdeen records drop in AUM

28 Mar 2011

Citigroup has described the pre-close results released by Aberdeen Asset Management today as “not as bad as feared”.
Egypt’s stockmarket risks exclusion from MSCI

Fund Strategy - 28 March 2011

Egypt’s stockmarket re-opened last Wednesday following civil unrest in the country, but precipitous falls forced it to suspend trading on two consecutive days.
Government to invite views on plans for Reit investment reform

Fund Strategy - 28 March 2011

The government has agreed to consult on reforming legislation regulating real estate investment trusts (Reits).
"Japan is bust", says Neptune's Taylor

25 Mar 2011

Chris Taylor, the head of research at Neptune and the manager of the Neptune Japan Opportunities fund, has declared that “Japan is bust”.
Castlestone Next 11 fund sells down Egypt

25 Mar 2011

Arrash Zafari, the manager of the Castlestone Next 11 fund, sold off the vast majority of the fund’s weighting to Egypt when the stockmarket re-opened on Wednesday.
US Q4 GDP revised up 0.3%

25 Mar 2011

America’s GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), 0.3 percentage points up from its last estimate.
Skandia proposes Equity Income fund revamp

24 Mar 2011

Skandia has proposed converting its British-focused Equity Income fund of funds into a Global Equity Income fund investing in global dividend payers.
Trading suspended again in Egypt

24 Mar 2011

The recently re-opened Egyptian stock exchange was forced to halt trading for the second consecutive day today after share prices fell by 6.5%.
Pictet remains optimistic on opportunities in Egypt

24 Mar 2011

Oliver Bell, the head of emerging market specialist equities at Pictet, has outlined his approach to investing in Egypt after its stock exchange made an abortive attempt to re-open yesterday.
Budget 2011: Property sector applauds Reit reform

24 Mar 2011

The British property industry has applauded the consultation on real estate investment trust (Reit) legislation announced in the budget yesterday.
Budget 2011: New rules boost Reits

23 Mar 2011

The government is to consult on reforming legislation around real estate investment trusts (Reits) to boost investment in British property.
Budget 2011: Bank levy to fund house buying

23 Mar 2011

George Osborne has announced that the profits taken from the bank levy will be used to fund a new equity scheme designed to help first-time home buyers.
Moody's upbeat on asset management industry

23 Mar 2011

Asset managers have “significantly” improved their earnings capability and enhanced balance strength, according to a report by Moody’s Investor Service.
Egyptian stockmarket crashes after re-opening

23 Mar 2011

The Egyptian stockmarket fell by almost 10% on its re-opening following nearly two months of being closed. As this represents the market’s limit, it has once again been closed.
Man sells its BlueCrest stake back to firm

22 Mar 2011

Man Group has announced it has sold its 25.5% stake in fellow hedge fund giant BlueCrest back to the firm.
db x-trackers launches global real estate ETF

22 Mar 2011

Deutsche Bank’s exchange traded funds (ETFs) platform, db x-trackers, has launched an ETF tracking the performance of global real estate stocks.
M&G hires fixed income manager from Cazenove

22 Mar 2011

M&G Investments has hired James Tomlins from Cazenove Capital Management to join its retail fixed income investment team.
Japan insurance costs are "manageable", says Fitch

22 Mar 2011

Insurance industry losses as a result of the Japanese earthquake are predicted to be “manageable”, according to the latest report from Fitch Ratings.
Reconstruction to drive Japanese growth, says report

22 Mar 2011

Government policy changes and reconstruction will drive a recovery in Japan, despite the recent earthquake disrupting economic activity, according to a special report by Alliance Bernstein’s international equity team.
Threadneedle hires for new Asian role

21 Mar 2011

Threadneedle has appointed Andrew Chan as the head of product and business development for Asia Pacific.
Inflation is investors' number one concern, says AIC

21 Mar 2011

Inflation has been identified as the primary financial cause for concern for investors according to research by the Association of Investment Companies (AIC).
Schroders merges European funds

21 Mar 2011

Schroders today confirmed its European fund will be merged with the Schroder Institutional European fund to create the renamed Schroder European fund.
Austerity package wins OECD praise

Fund Strategy - 21 March 2011

The government’s austerity plan last week received the full backing of the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Funds' mixed response to changes in Egypt

Fund Strategy - 21 March 2011

Investors still have mixed reactions to Egypt’s economic climate, weeks after civilian protests led to the removal of Hosni Mubarak as the country’s president.
Analysis: US manager remains optimistic on Japan

17 Mar 2011

Sheila Hartnett-Devlin, a portfolio manager at American Century Investments, is urging investors not to overestimate the impact dealt to industrial Japan as a result of last week’s earthquake.
Cautious Managed sales increase in February, says Cofunds

17 Mar 2011

Net sales of Cautious Managed funds accounted for 37% of fund sales on Cofunds in February, up from 33% in the fourth quarter of 2010.
BNP Paribas launches new investment partner

17 Mar 2011

BNP Paribas CIB and BNP Paribas Investment Partners have created a joint investment partner named Theam.
IMA disappointed with OFT study

17 Mar 2011

The Investment Management Association (IMA) has expressed its disappointment regarding the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) study into equity underwriting.
Investors becoming more cautious, says Efama

17 Mar 2011

The European Fund and Asset Management Association (Efama) has indicated there was a return of caution for investors towards the end of January.
Schroders launches second active, low cost fund

17 Mar 2011

Schroders has today launched a second low-cost, active managed fund as an alternative to passive investment.
India raises interest rates

17 Mar 2011

The Indian government has unveiled plans to increase interest rates from 6.5% to 6.75% to combat rising inflationary pressures, according to the latest report to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India.
OECD report applauds Osborne’s reforms

17 Mar 2011

The OECD threw its weight behind chancellor George Osborne’s state spending reforms yesterday in its economic survey of Britain.
Analysis: The financial impact of earthquakes

16 Mar 2011

The financial impact of earthquakes such as the recent catastrophe in Japan is enormous. The gulf between their effect on an economy and on a stockmarket, however, can be equally vast.
Analysis: Japan’s uncertain economy

16 Mar 2011

There can be little doubt that the cataclysmic earthquake which has struck Japan will continue to batter the nation’s economic recovery, even after the tragic human costs have begun to slow.
Japan: The multi-manager reaction

16 Mar 2011

As the events in Japan continue to escalate, multi-managers in Britain have spoken about their future plans regarding exposure levels.

FundwebHenry Brennan Editorial, Fundweb.co.uk

Fundweb
Henry Brennan Editorial, Fundweb.co.uk