UK equities

Liontrust is to launch an offshore version of its popular Special Situations unit trust early next month.

The growing number of off-exchange trading platforms is changing the way fund managers buy and sell shares, according to Nigel Thomas, manager of the £3.3bn AXA Framlington UK Select Opportunities fund.

Strong performance from Debenhams and Lloyds Banking Group have helped drive returns for Schroders' Richard Buxton this year, and the manager is holding on to all his mining positions despite a recent slump in prices.

Tom Dobell, manager of the £7.7bn M&G Recovery fund, expects an uptick in M&A activity to rejuvenate performance in 2013 after a "tough" three years for the fund.

Net retail sales for August plunged to their lowest level since October 2008, new IMA statistics show, dragged down by record outflows from the UK All Companies sector.

Neptune Investment Management has shut its £1m UK Alpha fund due to insufficient assets.

Prudential has dropped funds including Richard Buxton's Schroder UK Alpha Plus fund from its Dynamic Portfolio range in a move to diversify UK equity risk.

In the latest Big Debate, our panelists from Fundamental Tracker Investment Management and Threadneedle Investments discussed UK Equities.

Jeremy Charles, manager of the £1.3bn Scottish Widows UK Growth fund, is the latest fund manager to exit the firm following the restructure of its £54bn equity desk.

Fidelity is to rename Aruna Karunathilake's £167m UK Aggressive fund to better reflect its investment style.