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Vanguard’s plan to shake up the UK investment market with online low-cost direct access to its funds could spark a game-changing price war that stings brokers and fund managers alike. The US giant ($4tn AUM vs Hargreaves’ $64bn) has form in aggressively undercutting rivals to attract funds ($315bn last year) for both passive and active management (split 75%/25%), profiting from the low cost high volume model.
A UK price war will be sure to benefit investors in terms of competitivity, however, it may also force UK players to innovate on both product and service to justify higher costs. Vanguard’s ability to bring such a competitive offering to the UK – albeit clearly benefiting from global economies of scale – will, however, merely add to much investor frustration and calls for increased transparency about costs and for evidence that clients are being offered value for money.
For Hargreaves, not quite the same magnitude (in reverse) of the March 2014 reaction to the Chancellor’s plans to ditch annuities, when the shares rallied 14.5% on hopes that investors would take out their pension cash and adopt a DIY attitude. And whilst down 8% today they are still up 10% for the year. However, only time and quarterly AUM reports will tell whether this proves a Vanguard moment for UK sector competition.
Mike van Dulken, Head of Research, 16 May
This research is produced by Accendo Markets Limited. Research produced and disseminated by Accendo Markets is classified as non-independent research, and is therefore a marketing communication. This investment research has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote its independence and it is not subject to the prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research. This research does not constitute a personal recommendation or offer to enter into a transaction or an investment, and is produced and distributed for information purposes only.
Accendo Markets considers opinions and information contained within the research to be valid when published, and gives no warranty as to the investments referred to in this material. The income from the investments referred to may go down as well as up, and investors may realise losses on investments. The past performance of a particular investment is not necessarily a guide to its future performance. Prepared by Michael van Dulken, Head of Research
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