Money market funds are struggling with the impact of low interest rates as investors look to higher returns in the equity and bond markets, although the safety of the more conservative funds does offer an alternative to bank deposits. Ceri Jones reports

With portfolio stability a key concern among investors in today’s post-crisis world, non-traditional portfolio managers from the Natixis Global Asset Management group discuss how alternative strategies make asset allocation more complete

Kathleen Hughes, Head of Global Liquidity, EMEA, JPMorgan Asset Management, takes a look at money market funds, including the importance of screening underlying investments and the benefits associated with the larger funds

Sharia investments emerged largely unscathed from the financial crisis and the market is clearly expanding, writes Ceri Jones, but the strict guidelines that surround these vehicles are off-putting to some

The latest Ucits directive should stimulate merger activity, but national preferences remain a barrier, writes Elliot Smither

The private banking industry would do well to study the example of luxury goods manufacturers when devising their strategies to enter the Chinese market, writes Karl von Bezing

HSBC’s Chris Meares tells Yuri Bender about the renewed drive to recruit relationship managers to the private banking division and the importance of growing the bank from a local level

Michael Green discusses why he believes that American Century Investments’ focus on growth equity investing will be an advantage as the firm expands into the European asset management arena, and explains why it should be seen as a boutique fund house, rather than a global player. Elisa Trovato reports