UK

Contrarian views on the UK from Fidelity's Alex Wright

Former Financial Services Authority (FSA) chairman Lord Turner has warned that the UK has failed to rebalance its economy and is simply repeating the errors made in the run-up to the 2007/8 financial crisis.

Investor confidence in UK shares rose at the start of February, according to the latest Lloyds Bank Private Banking Investor Sentiment Index, to reach its highest point in the survey's one year history.

The UK economy will grow by 2.5% this year and again by 2.1% in 2015, according to the National Institute of Social and Economic Research (NIESR).

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UK GDP rose by 0.7% in Q4, according to an initial estimate from the Office for National Statistics, with growth for the year as a whole rising at its fastest rate since 2007.

IFAonline sister title Investment Week understands insurer Zurich UK has approached a number of asset managers with plans to create a fund management business in the UK.

Economist and founder of Capital Economics Roger Bootle has said that quantitative easing (QE) is not the "inflation danger" people should be worried about - the focus should be on the intentions of the government.

Capita Asset Services is predicting a record year for UK dividends in 2014, despite a lacklustre period for dividend returns last year.

Old Mutual Global Investors' Richard Buxton has told IFAonline sister title Investment Week his move from Schroders to his new firm is his last in fund management.