Asset management

A global asset management powerhouse

The UK's offer

  • The largest centre for asset management outside the US
  • £10.9tn of assets under management
  • A truly international market: 49% (£4.5tn) of assets under management are managed for overseas investors
  • An international hub for sustainable investment opportunities

Ideally placed to manage investment

With a favourable time zone and language, a thriving financial and professional services ecosystem and a diverse talent pool, the UK is the gateway to global capital. The UK is the world’s largest asset management centre outside the US, with more assets under management (AUM) than the next two top European countries (France and Switzerland) combined.

The UK houses 1,000 asset management firms, the largest number in Europe. This shows the dense cluster of expertise and diversity of services the UK has to offer. The UK also attracts global institutional investors to operate in. London houses the highest number of overseas offices of sovereign wealth funds and public pension funds, such as Temasek, AustralianSuper, CPP Investments and the Mubadala.

 

The UK’s offering for global asset owners and managers

Global Investment Futures

Global Investment Futures

The UK is a top choice for international investors 

Almost half (49%) of total assets managed in the UK are managed on behalf of overseas clients.

40% of assets held by UK fund managers are managed on behalf of overseas investors.

£10.9tn

assets under management

in the UK - second only to the US

36%

of all European assets

are managed in the UK, significantly more than any other European country

£490bn

assets are managed in Scotland

equivalent to 5% of UK total assets.

68%

of UK-managed assets

sit within overseas-domiciled funds

AustralianSuper

AustralianSuper is Australia’s largest pension scheme, helping its members to achieve their best financial position in retirement by delivering robust long term investment returns. 

We spoke to Damian Moloney, Head of Investments, International, about the fund’s plans for the future and the benefits of having an office in the UK.

Read more

What does the UK offer?

An unrivalled access to top talent, proximity to clients and major global companies and a world-leading financial centre.

Read our case study with Managed Funds Association on how they support alternative asset managers around the globe.

International reach

The UK is a pre-eminent asset management centre for global investors with £4.5tn managed on behalf of overseas clients

International reach

A deep talent pool

In London alone, 33,300 people work in the asset management sector

A deep talent pool

Thriving ecosystem

Many global managers and institutional investors have their European headquarters in London

Thriving ecosystem

Europe's biggest asset management centre

The Investment Association's Asset Management Survey shows that the UK remains Europe’s biggest asset management centre, and that European clients continue to account for the majority (56%) of its overseas client assets. The UK’s share of the European market is larger than the combined total of France, Germany and Switzerland.

Find out more from the IA's survey

An international hub for sustainable investment

As of 2022, sustainable investment assets under management globally amounted to $30.3 tn. This is an increase of 20% in non-US markets compared to 2020.

The UK is an international hub for sustainable investment opportunities. UK managers with more than £7.7tn AUM are now signatories to the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative. This represents more than three-quarters of the AUM in the UK.

Leading ESG globally

Sustainable and responsible investment (S&RI) funds managed in the UK reached £102bn in 2023.

Leading ESG globally

Integrating sustainability

As of the end of 2023, there were 458 responsible investment funds.

Integrating sustainability

Partner Story

CDPQ

CDPQ

Partner Story

Aware Super

Aware Super

Partner Story

abrdn

abrdn

Partner story

Findlay Park

Findlay Park

"We established our European base in London in 2016. The benefits of an on-the-ground presence in London have certainly been realised – access to talent, increased investment opportunities, and being part of a mature and substantial investment and financial ecosystem."

Damian Moloney, Head of Investments, International AustralianSuper