Big questions for AllianzGI's Gergel: What are the greatest headwinds facing the industry?

Challenges for income investors

With 30 years in fund management under his belt, Allianz Global Investors' CIO of UK equities Simon Gergel tells Jayna Rana about challenges for income investors, how over-regulation could stifle innovation, and why he has ventured back into housebuilders for the first time since before the global financial crisis.

Simon Gergel joined Allianz Global Investors in 2006 and has since managed the group's £70m UK Equity Income fund and the closed-ended £530m Merchants Trust, which has seen its dividend increase over 34 consecutive years, making it one of the AIC's' "dividend heroes". Over one year to 1 September, the trust is up 22%, outperforming both its AIC UK Equity Income sector average return of 16% and its FTSE 100 benchmark return of 15% during the period, according to FE Analytics.  How has the investment management industry changed since you joined in 1987? There has been a huge rise i...