Patrick Connolly, head of communications at AWD Chase de Vere
"Acquisitions and fund mergers are always fraught with danger and there is great potential for them to go wrong. However, the integration of both New Star and Gartmore has been pretty successful.""Henderson has managed to keep most of the funds under management and the better managers from those companies."
"Its standout funds are probably UK Property, which is one of the best-positioned funds in its sector, and China Opportunities, which is our favoured China fund."
"However, we also use its US and European Growth funds and Strategic Bond fund, which are all good options and very competitive in their respective sectors. We also use a range of its multi-manager funds."
Tim Cockerill, head of collectives research at Rowan Dartington
"Henderson has gone through a lot of change. It has acquired a lot of good managers through its takeovers, but this has also created a lot of work for it.""I’ve focused on the funds that have strong managers such as Richard Pease. A lot of managers don’t know where they stand when these acquisitions are made, but managers like Pease have a lot of followers so they know they’re in a good position."
"Its fixed income team is good and James Henderson’s UK Equity Income fund is worth looking at. I think it’s a shame it ditched its SRI team, as it was established and good."
"Henderson could do with consolidating. It has eight European funds and none of them are in what I’d call the premier league."
Juliet Schooling-Latter, head of research at Chelsea Financial Services
"We think Henderson’s tech team, Europe team and bond team are all good, so use Henderson Global Technology, European Growth and the Strategic Bond fund.""The group has a very large number of funds, but it is in the process of consolidating. Its acquisitions have given it some really strong managers."