Market leaders command high brand salience among UK intermediaries

Five UK-based asset managers rank among the top 10 in the Brand Equity Index, research by Aureum Y shows

The UK financial intermediary market has five UK-based asset managers sitting in the top 10 of Aureum Y’s Brand Equity Index, underlining the continued strength of domestic players in a highly competitive market.

From September to November 2025, Aureum Y, the research division of Fundamental Group, surveyed 170 financial intermediaries across the United Kingdom to assess brand perception among asset managers and identify the key drivers of purchase intention.

The findings from the UK chapter of the 2026 Global Brand Survey suggest a market where a small group of leading brands dominate, while a long tail of smaller players compete for attention.

Brand concentration at the top

Financial intermediaries spontaneously recalled 238 unique asset management brands, generating 3,186 mentions across the asset classes and management styles prompted.

The top asset manager was mentioned at least once by 65.9% of respondents, followed by 52.4% and 50% for the second and third manager. These figures highlight the strong dominance of three global players in the UK intermediary market. A second tier of firms, including four out of five local managers, were each recalled by more than 40% of respondents.

Beneath this leading group, fragmentation becomes clear as of the 238 brands mentioned,100 brands (42% of brands mentioned) were mentioned by only a single intermediary. This demonstrates the challenge for smaller or more specialised firms to achieve meaningful visibility.

When looking at prompted familiarity, on average 50% of respondents are either very or quite familiar with the top 18 most familiar asset managers, while the four most familiar brands are known by more than 80% of intermediaries.

One UK-based asset manager stands out as a leading brand for communication, events and training, all of which continue to play a central role in building and maintaining relationships with UK advisers.

Broad, careful and analytical

The study reveals a balanced spread in how brands are perceived across several value dimensions. Among some of the findings, it’s clear that:

• There is a good distribution between brands seen as “broad” and those considered “targeted”. However, qualitative feedback suggests that broader firms attract more positive commentary than the most targeted brands.
• Most companies are perceived as demonstrating “careful thinking and planning” rather than being “energetic and fast-paced”. Sentiment is more positive for brands associated with careful planning, reflecting a preference among intermediaries for stability and considered decision-making.
• Brands are strongly perceived as “analytical”, with weaker associations emerging around being “intuitive”. Qualitative comments related to analytical brands are significantly more positive, reinforcing the importance of expertise and accuracy in the UK market.

ETFs: established players benefit from strong brand alignment

The research also highlights the evolving role of ETFs in UK portfolios with 55% of intermediaries using ETFs.

Index ETFs are the most widely considered, with only 27% of respondents very unlikely to use them for clients. Interest in active ETFs and gold ETFs follows, while crypto ETFs are least likely to be considered.

Among intermediaries already using ETFs, 67% report using active ETFs. They value them mainly for their cost efficiency and typically use them for tactical or satellite positions, or to access niche strategies.

In the ETF segment, the research shows that brand factors are highly interlinked. Familiarity, recall and distinctiveness are strongly correlated with each other and with propensity to buy. Brand familiarity in particular shows a strong positive relationship with purchase intention.

ETF providers are recognised primarily for their brand strength. Intermediaries describe them as credible, pioneering, well-respected and globally recognised. Their know-how is highly valued, with respondents highlighting innovation, specialist expertise, strong research capabilities and market-leading investment approaches.

Cost and product breadth also play a central role. Providers are praised for offering low-cost, diverse and high-quality products across equity, fixed income, thematic and ESG exposures.

About Aureum Y

Aureum is Fundamental Group’s dedicated Research and Insights division, built on more than two decades of specialist experience in global investor research across individual, intermediary and institutional investor audiences. With extensive quantitative and qualitative capabilities, the team has delivered 250+ survey projects across 15+ audiences, managing a panel of 100k B2B professionals and tracking 3,600 media titles and 1,800 brands. Operating across 12 markets from four international offices, Aureum provides rigorous, culturally attuned insights that help asset management companies understand their audiences, refine their strategies and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape. To access our flagship Global Brand Survey (GBS) insights contact [email protected] and follow us on LinkedIn to keep updated on the latest news.