Aviva

Henderson's Alex Crooke, manager of the £647m Bankers investment trust, has sold out of UK recovery plays as he does not expect this part of the market to deliver for a number of years.

Aviva Investors' Justin Onuekwusi has upped his exposure to a variety of niche bonds - including floating rate loans - after warning equity markets could fall in the near future.

Fund closures and mergers in the UK have soared to a record high in the past six months as groups cull smaller or underperforming funds amid pressure on margins.

New business at insurance giant Aviva was up 18% in the three months to 31 March, reaching £191m, according to its latest results.

ONE TO WATCH

Fund managers are starting to buy back into UK-listed large-cap miners, seeing valuations as too good to refuse as wider sentiment on the sector hits a "decade low".

TURNAROUND STORIES

UK RETAIL

Aviva is to reduce its staff numbers by 2,000 over the next six months - a 6% reduction of its global workforce.

There was a weary air of predictability within hours and days of Margaret Thatcher's death about all the things she can be blamed for.