M&G

The devil is always in the detail.

For anyone involved in the manufacture, distribution and advice of investment funds, the latest set of statistics from the IMA make very welcome reading a month into the new decade and potentially point to a new era for the industry.

Whether markets will be able to absorb the huge government debt issuance that will be forthcoming once the Bank of England's quantitative easing programme ends is a hot topic at the moment.

Investment Week surveyed leading advisers to get their opinions on which funds and managers will deliver the best returns over the next 15 years

Invesco Perpetual and M&G have pledged to invest £95m in a new UK bank launch, according to The Daily Telegraph.

In the first week of December, Investment Week reported that M&G's Jim Leaviss believed there was a substantial chance there would be a downgrade by ratings agencies of UK government debt if there was no attempt to tackle the budget deficit.

The Cautious Managed sector held on to top spot in the Cofunds sales chart for November for the third consecutive month.

OBSR has upgraded both the £1.2bn M&G Optimal Income and the £2.8bn Fidelity Special Situations funds to AA ratings.

Equity markets around the world have continued to rally, fuelled by liquidity and some signs of improving economic data.

OBSR has upgraded Richard Woolnough's M&G Optimal Income fund from an A rating to AA.