Man Group PLC

SBI Asset Management will launch and begin managing its second product under its business alliance with UK-based Man Group, the SBI-Man AI Insights Japan Equity Fund, nicknamed AI Senrigan, on August 28. The initial offering begins on August 17, with SBI Securities handling distribution. The fund scores roughly 1,800 Japanese stocks using proprietary models that employ AI, machine learning, and alternative data, and invests in a diversified portfolio of about 100 to 200 names. Actual management is handled by Man Numeric, the quantitative arm of Man Group. Its Japan equity strategy, the Numeric Japanese Core Strategy, has delivered an annualized return of 9.7 percent since inception at the end of March 2005 and 23.3 percent over the past five years, outperforming the TOPIX total return index over the same periods. Man Numeric has 82.1 billion dollars, or about 13 trillion yen, in assets under management and has established Alpha GPT, a proprietary system in which AI autonomously develops, validates, and improves investment models.

The London stock market closed higher on Tuesday, with the FTSE 100 index ending at 10,871.02 points, up 89.27 points or 0.83%, supported by consumer goods stocks that rose on strong earnings. Unilever led the gains, surging 8.58%, its biggest daily jump in four years, after the company raised its full-year outlook and reported its strongest quarterly volume growth in over a decade. Man Group shares hit their highest level since 2010 during the session before paring gains, after reporting a larger-than-expected increase in assets under management for the first half. Energy stocks fell 1.43%, the most among sectors, as oil prices dropped on hopes of easing tensions between the US and Iran. Banking stocks declined 1.37%, with Barclays sliding 4.79% despite reporting first-half profit above expectations, suggesting investors may have already priced in the positive news.

Man Group reported record assets under management, strong investment performance and higher earnings for the first half of 2026. Assets under management reached a record $253.6 billion at June 30, up $26 billion, or 11%, from the end of December, driven by $19.8 billion in positive investment performance and $7.1 billion of net inflows. Core net revenue increased to $853 million, with net management fees rising 21% year over year to $627 million and core performance fees more than tripling from the first half of 2025 to $207 million. Core profit before tax rose to $297 million, producing a 35% core profit-before-tax margin, and the board declared an interim dividend of $0.057 per share. Chief Executive Officer Robyn Grew said the results reflected multi-year efforts to diversify the business, with broad-based investment gains and net inflows across all four product categories.

Eastspring Asset Management is offering the Eastspring Quantitative Absolute Return Equity Fund, or ES-QUANTABS, for subscription from 21 to 24 July 2026, with a project size of 1.5 billion baht and a minimum investment of 1 baht. The fund invests through the master fund Man Systematic Equity Alternative, with an average allocation of no less than 80 percent of NAV. The master fund employs a Long/Short Equity strategy, maintaining roughly equal long and short positions to reduce the impact of market direction and aiming to generate returns from stock selection across more than 4,000 companies globally. It is managed by Man Numeric, a quantitative investment specialist with over 35 years of experience. The fund is suitable for investors seeking diversification and medium- to long-term investment, with a recommended holding period of at least three years.

Man Group PLC has disclosed a 2.57% interest in JTC Plc, representing 4,504,352 ordinary shares held through cash-settled derivatives. The disclosure, made under Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code, reflects the position as of 15 July 2026. Man Group also reported a dealing on the same date, increasing a long position via an equity swap on 10,004 shares at 13.27 GBP per share. No other positions or dealings were disclosed.

Man Group PLC has disclosed a 2.54% interest in JTC Plc, representing 4,437,514 ordinary shares held via cash-settled derivatives as of 3 July 2026. The disclosure, made under Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code, also shows that Man Group increased a long position through an equity swap on 3,135 shares at a price of 13.28 GBP per share. No other dealings or positions were reported.