Equities

A series of shock rate hikes have failed to prevent a fresh sell-off in emerging market currencies, with developed market equities including the FTSE 100 also caught in the storm.

Liontrust Asset Management has seen its AUM grow to £3.6bn by the end of 2013 as the takeover of North Investment Partners helped counter outflows in the final quarter.

Fidelity Worldwide Investment's John Clougherty has said the group would not price its active equity funds as low as 30bps, following news Hargreaves Lansdown has secured funds for that price on its new Wealth list.

Fresh plunges in the value of emerging market currencies have send equities sharply lower this morning, with an analyst downgrade adding to the pain for EM-focused Aberdeen.

GLG's new recruit Henry Dixon has said the dual combination of rotation out of fixed income and the return of M&A could drive UK equities to new highs this year.

Investors' misplaced belief that US stocks are overvalued has made it the "most unloved bull market" in 40 years, veteran US fund manager Ed Cowart has said.

Nick Train, a long-term backer of Hargreaves Lansdown, has said the platform's assets could hit £240bn by 2020 - a figure which would mean adding £200bn in AUA over the next six years.

YEAR IN REVIEW

Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have both reported disappointing profits today, as income comes under pressure from a fall in bond trading.

Shares in Hargreaves Lansdown fell at the open this morning as investors digested news of the group's pricing overhaul which sees them charge clients a platform fee directly for the first time.