Half of investment professionals including wealth managers and financial advisers (49%) identified ‘alignment of interests with clients and employee ownership’ as plus points associated with boutique asset managers.
Research commissioned by Nedgroup Investments highlighted a big change in perceptions from just two years ago, where only one-in-five professionals (20%) pointed to this in a similar survey.
The second largest rise was for ‘nimbleness and flexibility’, which more than doubled from just over 14% of those quizzed in 2024 to 30%.
‘Leanness and cost-effectiveness’ offered by boutiques saw similar sentiment to 2024, dropping from 29% – 27%. ‘Specialist focus or focus on a small range’, ticked up by 2% from 30% of advisers to 32%.
Nedgroup’s researchers also asked respondents new questions in 2026 around service and experience offered by boutiques. They found ‘better service’ was cited as a plus point by 41% of professionals, personal experience and access to managers was cited by 32% and greater discipline was mentioned by 30%.
Apiramy Jeyarajah, chief commercial officer at Nedgroup Investments, said: “The findings point to a clear shift in what investors value about boutique asset managers.
“Alignment of interests has emerged as the standout advantage, with almost half of respondents now citing managers’ interests aligning with clients, compared with just one in five in 2024.
“That suggests ownership structures and genuine alignment are becoming increasingly important differentiators in a competitive asset management market.
“These 2026 findings indicate boutiques are also being valued for their more personal and responsive qualities.”
