Cazenove Capital Management is to merge its UK Dynamic Fund into is UK Opportunities Fund next month, subject to shareholder approval.

The merged fund will be managed by Julie Dean and have combined assets under management of £140 million.

Dean has managed the UK Opportunities fund since 2002 and the UK Dynamic fund since last year, during which time she has sought to bring the latter's portfolio in line with the former.

Robin Minter-Kemp, head of investment funds at Cazenove, said, ‘Julie Dean is a highly rated fund manager with a strong and consistent performance record.

'We expect the enlarged vehicle to be attractive to a broader range of investors and we have already received strong support for the merger from our existing key unit holders.'

Dean added, ‘The global business cycle is maturing with manufacturing corporate profits peaking and inflation accelerating with commodity, oil and food prices all rising.

'Western domestic demand is significantly lagging and a continued preference for defensive stocks seems appropriate.

'There is an abundance of these in the UK equity market which offer investors the prospect of excellent real returns.’

Dean took over the UK Dynamics fund last year after former manager Neil Pegrum left after more than five years at Cazenove to join Soros Fund Management.