Total assets under management (AuM) of the world’s largest 500 managers rose to US$81.2 trillion (€69.9 trillion) in 2016, up 5.8% on the previous year, according to figures from Willis Towers Watson.
The research found that AuM for North American managers increased by 7.7% over the period and now stands at $47.4 trillion, whilst assets managed by European managers increased by 2.8% to $ 25.8 trillion.
However, UK-based firms saw AuM decline for the second consecutive year, falling by 4.5% in 2016 to $6.3 trillion.
The majority of total assets are still managed actively but that share has fallen slightly from the end of last year as passive management continues to make inroads.
In a statement, Willis Towers Watson said: “The decline in UK AuM as reported in the year end 2015 survey was consistent with the negative trend industry wide in global AuM over 2014-2015.
“The UK decline over 2015-16 however is in contrast with the uptick in global AuM growth. A key reason for this is the sharp depreciation of GBP against USD – which is the reporting currency for AuM in the survey.”
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