Private Equity Investors Bid on Schroders’ Unit
A number of private equity investors have reportedly tabled initial bids for Benchmark Capital, the financial planning arm of Schroders, a UK asset manager in the process of being acquired by a US investment group for £9.9bn ($13.38bn), according to a report by Sky News cited in Private Equity Wire. Schroders shares traded largely unchanged following the report, and earlier reporting by Reuters in December 2025 indicated that Schroders was exploring a potential divestment of Benchmark Capital to strengthen its wealth management division under chief executive Richard Oldfield.
Interested Parties and Responses
Buyout groups Hg, TowerBrook Capital Partners, and Vitruvian Partners have submitted preliminary offers for the business, while US-based Aquiline Capital Partners is also understood to be among the interested parties, as per details from Sky News in the Private Equity Wire article. All named firms reportedly either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment, reflecting the sensitive nature of such transactions.
Schroders’ Acquisition and Industry Context
This development follows Schroders shareholders approving the sale of the company to Nuveen, creating a combined group managing approximately $2.5 trillion in assets, according to Private Equity Wire. The transaction underscores consolidation pressures in the asset management industry, particularly for mid-sized firms seeking scale to compete with larger US competitors.
Benchmark Capital’s Background
Schroders originally acquired a stake in Benchmark Capital in 2016 and completed full ownership in 2021, with the unit managing £38.6bn in assets as of 31 December 2025, based on its latest quarterly update as reported in the source.
