Henderson Global Investors has proposed numerous fund mergers and restructures in a bid to streamline its UK retail fund range.

The investment management firm said that the ‘rationalisation’, prompted by its acquisitions of New Star and Gartmore over the past three years, would take place in two phases, with the first to commence in May 2012.

Henderson said it has identified the funds where there is an overlap of investment objective and policy, or where it believes a change to a fund is in the interests of investors.

In the initial phase, it was confirmed that its European Value Fund would be merged into its European Growth Fund, managed by Richard Pease & Simon Rowe, while Henderson US Opportunities will be merged into its US Growth Fund, which is run by Tom Marsico, Coralie Witter and Doug Rao.

Meanwhile Paul Craig’s Global Strategic Capital Unit Trust will see the UK Strategic Capital Unit Trust merged with it.

The Extra Monthly Income Bond Fund and its High Yield Monthly Income Fund will both be merged with John Pattullo and Jenna Barnard’s Fixed Interest Monthly Income Fund.

Mark Skinner, director of retail global distribution at Henderson, said that it has always been the company’s intention to ‘rationalise’ its UK retail range.

‘Firstly, to remove complexity and duplication, and secondly, to enable us to focus on a smaller number of key investment strategies that are clearly relevant to our investors,’ he explained.

As part of the shake-up in May, the Higher Income Fund will be restructured to become the Henderson Global Equity Income Fund, managed by Ben Lofthouse and Andrew Jones.

Henderson also announced that its Diversified Absolute Return Fund will be relaunched as the Multi-Manager Diversified Fund, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.

Following the restructuring, the fund will sit in the new IMA Mixed Investment 0%-35% Shares sector from 30 March 2012.

If approved, the fund’s objective will also change and it will aim for a total rather than absolute return, with the ability to use derivatives for investment purposes.