The number of signatories to The ACT List has increased by 43 per cent to 40 asset and investment managers, think tank City Hive has revealed.

ACT, which stands for action, challenge, and transparency, is a list of investment companies that have committed to annually completing ACT reporting to enable the framework to be used as a tool to assess and catalyse the progress of corporate culture.

Twelve new names joined the list last year, bringing the number of signatories up to 40, representing £13trn in assets under management (AUM).

Six asset managers joined in the second half of 2025: Aberdeen Investments, Candriam, Comgest, Loomis Sayles, River Road, and Royal London Asset Management.

The ACT Corporate Culture Standard is a disclosure framework aimed at providing investment companies with a standardised way to understand, create, and progress cultural change, and be able to communicate progress through reporting.

Signatories have committed to this reporting, alongside senior accountability towards policy, action, and practice on inclusive culture, demonstrable evidence that value creation and stewardship of wealth is in responsible hands, and sharing ACT disclosures with clients.

The number of ACT signatories has risen from 12 in 2023, to 17 in 2024, 28 in 2025, and 40 in 2026.

“I am pleased to share that 2025 was another year of growth for ACT Signatories – with the number of dedicated asset managers continuing to expand,” said ACT Stewardship Council chair and Hargreaves Lansdown chief investment strategist, Emma Wall.

“These firms are committed to transparency with their clients. They understand that strong corporate culture and embedded values are synonymous with generating alpha, retaining talent and supporting the foundations of their businesses. These firms have realised that profit and purpose are aligned.

“Fund selectors using the ACT Framework report that the conversations they are having with asset managers over the last year have evolved significantly around the subject of culture – and not just firms that are ACT Signatories. Increasingly, the industry is realising how not prioritising culture will impact their business.”

---