Citigroup has made two senior hires for its UK small and medium sized companies research team amid a big push into the European mid-cap market which began in June.

Joe Brent, the former head of small and mid cap research at Cazenove, has been hired to head the team, and will join the bank next week, while Tony Cummins, who has 19 years of research experience, most recently at Panmure Gordon, will join in January to cover diversified financial companies.