Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Thursday 6 August 2026. To get this in your inbox every morning click here.
Quilter’s record £6bn first half
Quilter has raised its expectations for future net inflows after attracting a record £6bn during the first half of 2026.
Core net inflows rose 32% from £4.5bn in the same period last year and were equivalent to 9% of opening assets on an annualised basis, compared with 8% in the first half of 2025.
The performance has prompted Quilter to move away from its previous target of generating net inflows equivalent to between 4% and 5% of opening assets through the market cycle.
UK investment management assets hit £11.1trn
Assets managed by the UK investment management industry rose 11% to a record £11.1trn in 2025, according to figures from the Investment Association.
The increase, from £10trn in 2024, marked a second consecutive year of double-digit growth.
Growth was driven by assets managed for both domestic and overseas clients, with international business continuing to account for more than half of the industry’s total assets.
The real risk isn’t AI, it’s concentration
For much of this year, investors have been asking the same question: has the artificial intelligence (AI) rally gone too far?, say Chris Forgan and Caroline Shaw, co-portfolio managers of Fidelity WealthBuilder MPS.
We think there is another question worth asking. AI continues to offer some of the strongest structural growth opportunities available to investors. The difficulty is that market leadership has become increasingly narrow.
As a result, portfolios that appear diversified on the surface may, beneath the bonnet, be relying on the same theme to drive returns.
Quote Of The Day
Burnham inherited a maxed-out credit card and he’s still tapping it
– Tax rises and increased government borrowing now look almost inevitable under Andy Burnham, warns Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group
Stat Attack
With A-level results day rapidly approaching, research from Rathbones reveals the lengths many parents are prepared to go to help their children through university.
It shows:
26%
More than a quarter of parents who currently contribute, or expect to contribute, to university costs expect to provide more than £50,000 per child.
11%
expect to contribute more than £100,000.
16%
expect to contribute between £50,000 and £100,000.
34%
anticipate spending between £25,000 and £50,000.
10%
One in 10 expect to borrow to help pay the costs, while a similar proportion expect to rely on financial support from wider family members.
8%
anticipate selling assets to help fund their child’s education.
Source: Rathbones
In Other News
Titan Wealth has appointed Nia Rogers as director of Titan Corporate Benefits as it expands its employee benefits proposition.
Rogers brings more than 30 years’ experience in the sector, covering strategic consultancy, client relationship management, business development and workplace benefits design.
She most recently led the employee benefits business at Thomas Carroll and has previously worked at Capita, Punter Southall, Alexander Forbes and Lloyds Banking Group.
London-based active manager Atlantic House will officially rebrand as WisdomTree from 1 September.
This marks the next stage in its integration following WisdomTree’s acquisition of the firm in May this year.
Atlantic House will adopt the WisdomTree name and brand identity, with client communications, marketing materials, fund names and fund literature assuming the WisdomTree brand.
The rebrand will not affect underlying legal entities, and the Albemarle Street Partners brand will remain unchanged.
FNZ has agreed to sell FNZ Bank to Advent and a consortium including HarbourVest Partners, with the transaction expected to complete in the second half of 2027, subject to regulatory approval.
The wealth management platform said the divestment will sharpen its focus on its core technology business serving financial institutions globally.
FNZ added it intends to maintain a long-term partnership with FNZ Bank following completion, continuing to provide technology to support the bank’s growth in Germany.
Group chief executive Blythe Masters said the sale would reinforce FNZ’s position as a global wealth management technology platform.
From Elsewhere
Emerging markets get a hard lesson in tech hype (Reuters)
Japan 30-year bond sale brings relief amid fiscal concerns (Bloomberg)
Healey urged to be bold on borrowing in test of Burnham’s growth pledge (The Guardian)
Did You See?
Aviva and Quilter are still the two most recommended adviser platforms in the first half of 2026, according to Defaqto’s latest platform rankings.
The research, based on recommendations made through Defaqto Engage, found Aviva retained a 30% share among the top 10 platforms, while Quilter held 27%.
Fidelity Adviser Solutions remained third with an 8% share, followed by AJ Bell Investcentre with 6%.
Scottish Widows Platform was the biggest mover in the rankings, climbing three places to fifth after increasing its share of recommendations from 4% to 6%.
