Liontrust’s assets under management neared £30bn at the end of 2020 after investors pumped £800m into the specialist manager's funds in the final quarter of the year.
A trading update, published to the stock exchange this morning (January 13), showed Liontrust’s assets stood at £29.4bn as at December 31 — 43 per cent higher than three months before, and up 83 per cent on the start of the financial year (April 1).
They have since grown further, and as at January 11 Liontrust's Aum stood at £30.1bn.
Throughout Q4 2020, the fund house's assets were boosted by £792m of net inflows, primarily from retail clients, some £2.5bn of positive market movements and £5.6bn through its acquisition of Architas’s UK investment business.
Its sustainable investment arm is now its most popular strategy, accounting for £9.3bn of its assets under management, closely followed by its economic advantage and multi-asset ranges.
John Ions, chief executive, said: “An increasing number of investors want their investments to make positive contributions to society, the environment and the economy.
“The world we live in today needs to and can improve by investors demanding more from the companies they invest in.
“Over the past two decades, the [sustainable investment] team has demonstrated the ability of their investment process to outperform mainstream funds and the impact of their funds on sustainable development.”
Liontrust has remained a popular fund house throughout the pandemic, attracting £2.5bn of inflows since April 1.
Its focus on sustainable investing has paid dividends as ESG investing continues to rise up the collective agenda, while multiple acquisitions over the past few years have bolstered its product range.
In October, it revealed it was to overhaul its fund range in a move which saw five funds disappear from its offering and multiple fund managers leave.
Mr Ions said he was “incredibly proud” of how the whole company continued to operate successfully and achieved its strategic objectives through the global pandemic.
He added: “It is at times like this that adherence to core beliefs and investment processes are vital. Liontrust and our funds have shown great resilience over the past 10 months.
“I am confident that Liontrust will maintain its growth because of the company's continued focus, our six excellent investment teams, diversification across funds and distribution markets, strong brand and first-class service."
imogen.tew@ft.com
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