HSBC Global Asset Management topped MandateWire’s manager league table in September, winning the most mandates among the European investors we surveyed during the month, while BlackRock attracted the highest net inflows.

There was a clear divide between the actions of the 45 UK corporate pension funds and master trusts surveyed during the first quarter of 2024. While individual pension funds remain focused on de-risking and bulk insurance strategies, master trusts, with their longer investment horizons, concentrated on illiquid alternatives. 

During the first quarter of 2024, MandateWire reported on the activity of 39 individual local government pension schemes and six LGPS pools.

As one of the most newsworthy assets during the past few years, cryptocurrency has gained attention for providing stellar returns but also for suffering steep losses. While crypto asset managers share a positive outlook for digital assets, institutional investors and advisors are less sanguine and more wary.

Investment consultants are advising UK defined benefit pension schemes to conduct wider investment strategy and governance reviews that go beyond their liability-driven investments as the Bank of England expands its emergency bond market support ahead of the end of its gilt-buying programme on Friday.