Equities

ON JAPAN

Schroders' head of UK equities Richard Buxton has been buying Standard Chartered on its dramatic share price falls this week, ignoring the market's "frenzy of panic" over the stock.

Liontrust is to launch low-cost share classes aimed at wealth managers across Jan Luthman and Stephen Bailey's Macro fund range, as part of an administration change which will also see the group drop Capita as its authorised fund manager.

Aviva has vowed to turn around the performance of its struggling funds business - Aviva Investors - after operating profits fell 13% year on year.

US multi-cap equity specialist John Eisinger has left Janus Capital, Investment Week understands.

France's economy will slip back into recession in the third quarter, posting a 0.1% contraction, the Bank of France has warned.

Schroders' Virginie Maisonneuve has been focusing on the consumer sector within her global equity funds as a play on the US economic recovery.

Troy Asset Management's Sebastian Lyon has advised investors not to buy equities now, as stock valuations are stretched to 2007 levels.

Global mining giant Rio Tinto has suffered a 22% drop in profits for the first half of 2012 as weak commodity prices hit growth.

Standard Chartered could face up to $700m in fines if found guilty of allegations it helped Iranian clients conduct money laundering.