Emerging Markets

Active emerging market equity managers have been given a further incentive to invest ‘off benchmark' after recent market falls emphasised the role played by ETFs.

Investor confidence in UK shares rose at the start of February, according to the latest Lloyds Bank Private Banking Investor Sentiment Index, to reach its highest point in the survey's one year history.

Fidelity Worldwide Investment is set to launch a new equity index range in March, available to the adviser market exclusively through FundsNetwork with fees starting at 0.09%.

Former BBC economics editor and now J.P. Morgan Asset Management's chief market strategist for the UK and Europe Stephanie Flanders give her run down of what investors can expect in the year ahead.

EMERGING MARKETS

Old Mutual Global Investors (OMGI) is planning to relaunch a number of funds in its range, with global equities, Asia and emerging markets touted as major growth areas.

EMD

Short-term borrowing rates in China have soared to record highs as credit seizes up, prompting fears that the country's liquidity squeeze may be spinning out of control.

First State Investments has formally announced the soft closure of Jonathan Asante's £4bn GEM Leaders fund.

Aberdeen CEO Martin Gilbert has raised the prospect of closing the group's Asia Pacific equity funds in the near future after admitting it "cannot cope" with soaring inflows.