threadneedle

ON UK GROWTH

First State's Martin Lau has beaten stars including Invesco Perpetual's Neil Woodford and Neptune's Robin Geffen to see his Greater China Growth fund ranked the most consistent performer over the three years to the end of 2011.

The IMA could be ready to launch its delayed fourth Managed sector in the coming months, following a pick-up in interest from fund groups.

Threadneedle's head of global equities Jeremy Podger has left the company to join Fidelity and run its £1.5bn Global Special Situations fund.

EUROPE ON THE BRINK

No fund managers will be joining Threadneedle from LVAM following its £8bn outsourcing deal, as revealed by Investment Week earlier this month.

Threadneedle has hired Martin Currie global equities manager Neil Robson to run its Global Focus SICAV.

Threadneedle's Cormac Weldon has rotated out of cyclical names in favour of defensives in his £1.2bn American Select fund, as companies struggle against a muted outlook for the US economy.

Threadneedle will not be hiring any of the fund managers from LV= Asset Management when the assets move across at the end of the month, Investment Week understands.

Threadneedle has launched a SICAV version of the $1.5bn US Contrarian Core fund run by sister company Columbia Management.