Finance
UK's Schroders examines options for Benchmark business, sources say
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 3, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 3, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Schroders is exploring a potential sale of Benchmark Capital to expand its wealth management business, with private equity interest noted.
By Amy-Jo Crowley, Andres Gonzalez and Iain Withers
LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Britain's Schroders is exploring possible options for its financial planning business Benchmark Capital, including a potential sale, two people familiar with the matter said.
Under CEO Richard Oldfield, money manager Schroders has been looking to expand its wealth business, with a bigger focus on more affluent clients, including through its Cazenove division.
Schroders has hired advisers to explore a sale of Benchmark, the people told Reuters. Benchmark had 37.1 billion pounds ($49.3 billion) in assets under management as of September this year, the money manager's third quarter trading update showed.
"As a matter of policy, we do not comment on speculation and we remain focused on investing in the business and executing our ambitious multi-year growth plans," a Schroders spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters.
Discussions are at an early stage and a sale may not materialise, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is private.
Schroders is working with investment advisory firm Perella Weinberg Partners, one of the people said. Perella did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Private equity firms have expressed interest in Benchmark, which is focused on the mass affluent sector of the wealth management market and offers financial planning services to more than 1,000 adviser clients, they added.
Schroders could also retain Benchmark and explore options to accelerate its growth, one of the people said.
"Benchmark is a business with strong growth prospects and ambitious plans to further accelerate expansion in 2026 and beyond," the Schroders spokesperson said.
Schroders ended its joint venture in mass affluent wealth management with Lloyds Banking Group in October by swapping its 49.9% stake for Lloyds' 19.1% stake in Cazenove.
Analysts have previously said that Benchmark is less profitable than Cazenove.
($1 = 0.7533 pounds)
(Reporting by Amy-Jo Crowley, Andres Gonzalez and Iain Withers in London; Editing by Anousha Sakoui, Elisa Martinuzzi, Dhara Ranasinghe and Alexander Smith)
Asset management is the process of managing investments on behalf of clients, which can include individuals or institutions. It involves making decisions about investment portfolios to maximize returns while minimizing risk.
Wealth management is a comprehensive service that combines investment management, financial planning, and other financial services to help clients manage and grow their wealth effectively.
A financial planning business provides services to help individuals and organizations create strategies for managing their finances, including budgeting, investing, and retirement planning.
A potential sale refers to the possibility of selling a business or its assets. This can occur for various reasons, such as strategic realignment or maximizing value for stakeholders.
Assets under management (AUM) refers to the total market value of assets that an investment firm or financial institution manages on behalf of clients. It is a key indicator of the firm's size and success.
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