James MacPherson

BlackRock Advisors LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1994 and is a subsidiary of BlackRock Capital Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK). BlackRock Advisors manages assets for US-registered investment companies and 529 Plans.

Schroder Investment Management Ltd. (SIM) is the wholly-owned asset management subsidiary of Schroder International Holdings Ltd., ultimately held by Great Britain-based Schroders Plc (LSE: SDR, ADR: SHNWY). Established in 1985, SIM is headquartered in London and caters to a range of clients such as corporations, insurance firms, local and public authorities, charities, pension funds, high net-worth individuals and retail investors.

Merrill Lynch International (MLI-UK) is a brokerage firm headquartered in London, UK. The firm was founded in 1988 and is a subsidiary of ML UK Capital Holdings Ltd., ultimately owned by Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) in the US. MLI-UK provides brokerage services to individual and retail clients.

Société Générale SA (UK) (Société Générale UK) is the Great Britain-based brokerage division of Societe Generale SA (XP: GLE, ADR: SCGLY) in France. Headquartered in London, Société Générale UK was founded in 1993 and provides broking services.

RobecoSam USA, Inc. (formerly Sustainable Asset Management USA, Inc.) is a registered investment advisor located in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of RobecoSam AG and their ultimate parent is Coöperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank BA.

abrdn Alternative Investments Ltd. (AAI) is the wholly owned asset management subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Investment Group Ltd. and their ultimate parent is abrdn Plc (LON: ABDN, ADR: SLFPF) in Great Britain. Formerly held by Lloyds Banking Group plc (LSE: LLOY), Aberdeen Asset Management plc entered into a strategic alliance with Lloyds Banking Group plc in 2013, acquiring AAI and their related private equity and infrastructure fund management businesses. Formerly known as Aberdeen Asset Investments Ltd., the firm was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in London. AAI provides investment solutions to private individuals, financial institutions, charities, investment trusts and corporate and local government pension funds in Great Britain and worldwide.

Aviva Investors Global Services Ltd. (AIGSL) is the wholly-owned asset management subsidiary of Aviva Investors Holdings Ltd., ultimately held by Aviva plc (LSE: AV, ADR: AV) in Great Britain. Previously known as Morley Fund Management Ltd., the firm was founded in 1973, merged with Norwich Union Investment Management Ltd. in 2000 and underwent restructuring in 2008. Headquartered in London, AIGSL provides investment management services and related advisory to various subsidiaries of the Aviva Group and external clients such as retail funds, pension funds, and other institutional investors.

BlackRock International Ltd. (BIL) is the Great Britain-based subsidiary of BlackRock Group Ltd., itself a subsidiary of BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) in the US. Founded in 1995, the firm is headquartered in Edinburgh and manages assets for institutional clients, separate accounts, pooled investment vehicles and US registered investment companies, including ETFs. Mandates include equity, fixed income and multi-asset strategies. BIL is socially responsible investors which has mandates that explicitly address social, ethical, or environmental considerations.

BlackRock Advisors (UK) Ltd. (BlackRock UK) is the Great Britain-based investment management subsidiary of BlackRock Finance Europe Ltd., ultimately held by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) in the US. The firm was founded in 1964 and formerly known as Barclays Global Investors Ltd. Headquartered in London, BlackRock UK manages a range of investment products for various UK and continental European clients including defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, insurance companies, educational and nonprofit organizations, local government entities, and individual and families.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) is a securities brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1927, the firm is a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS). GS&Co. provides services to help hedge funds manage risk, monitor portfolios, maintain liquidity and build their businesses. They offer clients access to global equity and derivatives markets, as well as foreign exchange, commodities, European Lefts, rates and credit across the Americas, Europe and Asia. The firm proactively monitors capital markets, searching for pockets of liquidity and news that may require changes to those strategies. Integration with the Goldman Sachs network gives clients access to the firm's sectored block trades and their insights into price discovery. Their electronic trading program provides clients with tools to manage their trades from pre-trade analytics to post-trade analysis.

BNP Paribas Asset Management UK Ltd. (BNPP AM UK) is an asset management firm headquartered in London, UK. The firm was founded in 1990 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas Asset Management Holding SA, itself a subsidiary of BNP Paribas SA (EPA: BNP, ADR: BNPQY) in France. BNPP AM UK provides customized investment management services to institutional clients, wholesale clients and collective investment schemes.

UniCredit Bank AG (Broker) (UniCredit Bank-Broker) is the brokerage division of UniCredit Bank AG, a commercial bank headquartered in Munich, Germany. Formerly known as Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG, the firm was founded in 1869 and is a subsidiary of UniCredit SpA (BIT: UCG) in Italy. UniCredit Bank-Broker is responsible for direct market access execution in listed products, as well as various kinds of brokerage services, such as OTC fund execution, care order execution, order and flow management for UniCredit Commercial Banks, subsidiaries, external clients and CIB internal desks.

Moody's Investors Service Ltd. is the Great Britain-based investment research subsidiary of Moody's Corp. (NYSE: MCO) in the US. The firm was founded in 1985 under the name Rapidcredit Ltd. Headquartered in London, Moody's Investors Service provides credit ratings, research, and risk analysis. Credit ratings and research help investors analyze the credit risks associated with fixed-income securities. Such independent credit ratings and research also contribute to efficiencies in fixed-income markets and other obligations, such as insurance policies and derivative transactions, by providing credible and independent assessments of credit risk.

Oaktree Capital Management (UK) LLP (Oaktree UK) is Great-Britain investment management subsidiary of Oaktree European Holdings LLC, ultimately held by Brookfield Corp. (NYSE, TSX: BN) in Canada. Headquartered in London, Oaktree UK was founded in 2011 and provides investment management services in select niche investment markets for pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds. They are a socially responsible investor which regularly evaluates how they can incorporate ESG considerations into their investment process to conscientiously invest on behalf of their clients.

Sculptor Capital Management Europe Ltd. (Sculptor Capital Europe) is the wholly-owned, Great Britain-based alternative asset management subsidiary of Sculptor Capital LP, itself a subsidiary of Sculptor Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE: SCU) in the US. The firm was founded in 1998 and was formerly known as Och-Ziff Management Europe Ltd. Headquartered in London, Sculptor Capital Europe manages alternative investments for individuals, family offices, pensions, foundation and endowments, private banks, funds of funds, corporate and other institutional clients.

BlackRock (Netherlands) BV (BlackRock Netherlands) is an investment management firm headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The firm was founded in 1998 and is a subsidiary of BlackRock Finance Europe Ltd., ultimately owned by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) in the US. BlackRock Netherlands provides investment, advisory and risk management solutions to pension plans, insurers, investment banks, savings banks, foundations, official institutions, and individuals.

SIX Swiss Exchange AG operates as a stock exchange. It distributes a range of indices; and offers market data for shares, bonds, ETFs and funds, ETPs, indices, statistics, and data services. The firm enables to list and trade in segments, including equities, bonds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), exchange traded products (ETPs), derivatives, sponsored funds, sponsored foreign shares, warrants, and structured products. The company was founded in 1850 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

Winterflood Investment Trusts recently held their Annual Investment Companies Conference where speakers from leading investment trust management groups discussed the prospects for their respective asset classes. The event took place in person at the Drapers' Hall in the City, marking the first time since 2020. The British company specializes in investment trusts and provides a platform for investment in various asset classes such as bonds, infrastructure, and logistics property. Commercial property capital values have improved slightly in Q1 2023, according to CBRE reports. The presentation slides from the conference are available for viewing, along with short video interviews with the managers.