Britain's Most Admired Companies 2011: Speciality & other finance sector
Financial services have long been the lynchpin of the UK economy but the sector has seen much turmoil in recent years. From hedge funds to private equity, wealth managers to brokers, this is a business where money really matters.
Despite (or because of?) the current financial turmoil, derivatives trader IG Group has posted record profits of £163m this year. This is the firm’s second consecutive sector win. Second place ‘investment supermarket’ Hargreaves Lansdown has bucked the market trend to post a 2011 turnover in excess of £200m, and the value of client investments administered by the firm is up £7.1bn to £24.6bn this year. Global asset management company Schroders now has £182.2bn worth of client funds under its sway, and a robustly diverse portfolio. Aberdeen Asset Management CEO Martin Gilbert takes a glass half-full approach: 'Market volatility creates opportunities for long-term investors with a fundamental approach like Aberdeen.'
BMAC 2011 by sector: Speciality & other finance
| QMan | Rank | FS | Rank | QG&S | Rank | AAT | Rank | |
| Aberdeen Asset Management | 6.3 | 6 | 6.6 | 5 | 6.8 | 5 | 6.8 | 5 |
| Ashmore Group | 6.3 | 8 | 6.6 | 4 | 7.0 | 3 | 6.9 | 4 |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | 6.6 | 3 | 8.0 | 2 | 7.5 | 1 | 7.5 | 1 |
| IG Group | 8.5 | 1 | 7.5 | 3 | 7.5 | 1 | 7.5 | 1 |
| ICAP | 6.5 | 4 | 6.5 | 6 | 6.4 | 6 | 6.2 | 7 |
| Investec | 6.3 | 5 | 6.2 | 7 | 5.7 | 9 | 5.5 | 9 |
| Man | 5.9 | 9 | 5.5 | 10 | 5.8 | 8 | 6.3 | 6 |
| Provident Financial | 6.7 | 2 | 5.9 | 9 | 6.1 | 7 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Schroders | 6.3 | 6 | 8.1 | 1 | 7.0 | 3 | 7.0 | 3 |
| 3i | 5.3 | 10 | 6.0 | 8 | 5.7 | 9 | 5.2 | 10 |
| 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
(Continued)