Finance

Schroders: End of an era for historic British finance firm

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on February 12, 2026

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· Last updated: February 12, 2026

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Schroders: End of an era for historic British finance firm
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Feb 12 - British money manager Schroders is being taken over by U.S. asset manager Nuveen for 9.9 billion pounds ($13.5 billion), ending the independence of one of London's old finance houses that

Schroders' Independence Ends as Nuveen Acquires Historic Firm

The End of an Era for Schroders

Feb 12 - British money manager Schroders is being taken over by U.S. asset manager Nuveen for 9.9 billion pounds ($13.5 billion), ending the independence of one of London's old finance houses that traces its roots back to the early 1800s.

Timeline of Schroders' History

Here is a timeline of the 222-year old Schroders, from its inception through to managing more than 800 billion pounds in assets now:

Details of the Acquisition

Date Event

Impact on the Financial Sector

1804 Schroders was founded by Johann Heinrich

Schröders, who went into a partnership in London

with his elder brother. The company began as a

merchant bank in 1804.

1818 After his elder brother's retirement, Johann

Heinrich Schröder set up his own firm, J. Henry

Schröder & Co. in 1818.

1870 Issues bond to support Japan's first railway

1923 Schroders makes its first move into the United

States.

1924 Forms its first investment trust and starts

managing investments for clients.

1959 Lists on the London Stock Exchange, with the

shares 18 times oversubscribed.

1968 The Schroder Trust Company’s activities expands

into institutional investment management with

the purchase of Naess & Thomas. Schroder, Naess

& Thomas was later renamed Schroder Capital

Management.

1979 Enters the U.S. pension fund market.

1994 Fully acquires Wertheim & Co., a New York

investment bank and asset manager and renamed

the firm as Schroder & Co. Inc. in 1997.

2000 As a move to fully concentrate on asset

management, the group sells its investment

banking division to Salomon Smith Barney, part

of Citigroup.

2012 To beef up its presence in the U.S., Schroders

acquires STW Fixed Income Management, getting

hold of more than $11 billion worth assets

managed by the firm.

2019 Bruno Schroder, a non-executive director and the

great-great grandson of the company's co-founder

John Henry Schroder, dies.

2024 Current CEO Richard Oldfield appointed.

March Outlines plans to cut 150 million

2025 pounds from its costs over the next three years,

part of a revamp to boost flagging performance. 

December Sources told Reuters Schroders was exploring

2025 options for its financial planning business

Benchmark Capital, including a potential sale.

February U.S. asset manager Nuveen set to take over

2026 Schroders for 9.9 billion pounds ($13.50

billion). Founding family to sell out.

(Reporting by Sri Hari N S in Bengaluru; Editing by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes and Bernadette Baum)

Key Takeaways

  • Nuveen acquires Schroders for £9.9 billion.
  • Schroders' history dates back to the early 1800s.
  • The acquisition ends Schroders' independence.
  • Schroders managed over £800 billion in assets.
  • Founding family to sell out with the acquisition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is asset management?
Asset management refers to the systematic process of developing, operating, maintaining, and selling assets in a cost-effective manner. It involves managing investments on behalf of clients to achieve specific financial goals.
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The London Stock Exchange is one of the world's oldest stock exchanges, located in London. It facilitates the buying and selling of shares, bonds, and other securities, providing a platform for companies to raise capital.
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Corporate governance is the system of rules, practices, and processes by which a company is directed and controlled. It encompasses the mechanisms through which companies, and their stakeholders, interact.

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