Growth-focused UK equity managers have joined their income peers in backing pharmaceuticals as deals both real and rumoured send shares rocketing.

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership's chief executive Dean Buckley is to leave as Aberdeen Asset Management realigns its investment division following its takeover of the Scottish group.

Schroders has appointed Alex Tedder from American Century Investments as head of global equities.

Stephen Jones, chief investment officer of Kames Capital, has said the UK's improving GDP figures mean it is now rivalling some emerging markets in the growth stakes.

GAM has launched a tactical multi-asset fund to be run by its asset allocation team, headed by Graham Wainer.

Kames Capital is expanding its property management team with two new hires after launching its first ever Property Investment Authorised Fund (PAIF) last month.

Unicorn Asset Management is looking to strengthen its core UK equity offering by renaming one fund, preparing a new launch for John McClure and hiring two new team members.

M&G's Richard Woolnough has said fixed income investors should overcome their fear of duration and embrace an expected uptick in 100-year bond issuance this year, but peers are sceptical about the bonds.

While markets across Europe took a break over the long Easter holiday, Asian markets fluctuated between gains and losses, weighed down by expected weak Chinese manufacturing data to be released this week.

The UK Equity Income sector's total return outstripped other income-focused offerings in the last year, easily surpassing Asian, European and global equity market products. Does that make now a good time to switch?