UK equities

What to expect from a return to normalisation

The insurance sector has come under the spotlight this week after Friday's revelation Aviva was seeking a merger with Friends Life in a deal worth £5.6bn.

Corporate financial reports have grown in length and complexity, leaving some managers baffled. Annabelle Williams reports.

Nick Kirrage has begun adding supermarkets to the £1.5bn Schroder Income fund he co-manages with Kevin Murphy, expecting a significant boost to dividends in the long term.

Multi-asset managers are reducing their UK equity positions on fears next May's general election could hit sterling and weigh on valuations.

Marlborough's Richard Hallett has pointed to retailers ASOS and Tesco, two of the worst performing UK-listed stocks this year, as potential turnaround stories.

Biotech off the beaten track

The equity bull run is getting long in the tooth and managers are being complacent about the rising risks, argues Stephen Lamacraft from Woodford Investment Management.

In the week that Tesco admitted it had over-stated its first half results by £250mn, Invesco Perpetual's Mark Barnett warns investors should be especially vigilant over visibility of earnings.

Tesco has announced its new finance director is to start the job immediately, bringing forward the appointment by two months after it yesterday revealed it had overstated half-year profits by £250m.