Fundsmith surges into Pridham Report top ten as Baillie Gifford tops active sales

ESG flows boost Liontrust and Rathbones

A near-50% increase in gross sales helped Fundsmith break into the Pridham Report's top ten managers for the measure, as strong performance through the coronavirus pandemic meant Baillie Gifford was the best-selling active house in the UK.

Fundsmith saw its gross sales soar by 45% to £6.7bn, as the firm's flagship Fundsmith Equity offering continued to deliver impressive returns for unitholders, meaning it was the ninth best-selling asset manager in 2020. The second new entrant into the top ten was Liontrust, which benefitted from heightened interest from investors in ESG solutions. The firm saw gross sales rise by almost two-thirds (65%) to £7.6bn, helping it land in eighth. Funds 'failing' to meet FCA transparency measures - CFA UK report However, while their passive arms allowed BlackRock, Fidelity International a...