BlackRock

Exchange-traded products gathered net new assets of $67.3bn during the first quarter of 2012, making it the best start to the year ever for the industry.

Markets moved modestly higher last week, which helped stocks to return one of the strongest first quarters in history.

BlackRock has poached seven emerging market debt managers from BNP Paribas Investment Partners.

BlackRock has called on the European markets authority to improve the way exchange-traded products are labelled, including identifying synthetics, and increase transparency over conflicts of interest.

BlackRock has promoted Alex Hoctor-Duncan to the newly created role of head of retail for Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EMEA), while Maarten Slendebroek, responsible for international retail, is leaving next month after 18 years with the group

BlackRock has broken its silence over the proposed merger of commodities giant Glencore and miner Xstrata, saying it will back the deal.

FRONTIER MARKETS

WEALTH MANAGERS

Jemma Jackson of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) looks at the rise of the specialist sectors and explains why closed-ended structures lend themselves to the space.

US