Investec Asset Management, whose chief executive last month said that developing markets offered the “real challenge” for firms after he took the top prize at the Financial News awards, saw a 1.3% rise in assets under management, helped by gains in Africa and Asia Pacific, in the half year to September.

The asset manager's AuM rose to £62.4bn for the period following net inflows of £1.5bn. This helped operating profits increase by 2.5% on the same period last year to £67.2m.