IA's Cummings urges 'predictability' from government as asset managers eye infrastructure opportunities

Allocation to sector jumped to £40bn in 2017

Chris Cummings, CEO of the Investment Association (IA), has urged the UK government to provide greater "predictability" to asset managers in efforts to maintain the sector's growing allocation to the country's infrastructure and contribution to the economy.

According to the IA's 2017-2018 edition of its Asset Management in the UK report, which surveyed fund firms to identify industry trends, asset managers increased their allocation to UK infrastructure to £40bn in 2017 from £29bn a year earlier. The survey attributed this rise to growing demand for infrastructure from pension schemes and insurance companies, looking for "diverse sources of return, and returns that match the amounts they need to pay out". Investors' confidence in UK equities plummets further with £315m in outflows Speaking to Investment Week, Cummings said: "What w...