UK – Zurich Scudder Investments, the UK institutional investment business of major Swiss financial group, Zurich Financial Services, has reverted to its former brand name, Threadneedle.

The umbrella brand will officially be known as Threadneedle Investments, whilst the main operating company, will change from Zurich Scudder Investments to Threadneedle Asset Management.

The name change doesn’t concern the retail business as this has retained the Threadneedle brand.

A spokesman for Threadneedle says that the name change is not indicative of any change in ownership, as the company will remain with Zurich, and that operating the retail and institutional businesses under two names was not always ideal.

“It makes commercial sense, especially as the recently launched defined contribution business links the retail with the institutional,” he says.