The blue blood that has coursed through the veins and arteries of Schroders for the past 215 years hasn’t exactly changed colour, but it has altered its hue of late.
In truth, the venerable FTSE 100 fund manager has had to adapt: its sector is under growing pressure from the rise of low-cost passive investment strategies, its performance has been stuttering and its share price has caught a serious dose of the doldrums.
Schroders, one of the best-known names in finance, offers banking services as well as fund and wealth management. Its history began in 1804 when John Henry Schroder became a partner at his brother John Frederick’s London firm.
Members of the founding family still control just under 48 per cent of the voting