US financial groups face high investor expectations for strong earnings growth in their first-quarter results in spite of subdued markets for equity trading and investment banking in the first three months of 2010.

Fund managers including Schroders' Andy Brough have attacked Labour's plans for a ‘Cadbury's Law' to protect UK companies from foreign takeovers as unworkable, costly and a threat to Britain's standing as a global financial centre.

Anthony Bolton's Fidelity China Special Situations trust has raised £460m in one of the UK market's most successful fund listings for 20 years.

L&G Investments sales director Ben Waterhouse is joining Fidelity as head of UK wholesale sales.

Bankers are pressing the UK Financial Investments to consider a convertible bond for Government held stakes in Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland ahead of next month's election.

Gartmore head of UK retail Richard Pursglove believes the decision to suspend Guillaume Rambourg last week demonstrates the group's commitment to maintaining the "highest levels of integrity".

Gartmore has completed a joint venture with Hermes Fund Managers Limited to combine private equity fund of fund businesses.

John Chatfeild-Roberts' Jupiter Merlin team has re-introduced Thames River's Global Bond fund into its £664m Balanced portfolio on the belief currency calls can enhance returns in 2010.

Japanese funds dominated returns during the first quarter of the year as the region's equity market begins to bounce back from a disappointing 2009.

Investec Africa & Middle East manager Roelof Horne remains positive on prospects in the developing regions despite expecting the fallout from Dubai debt exposures to continue through 2010.