Schroders LSE:SDR said on Monday it had agreed to sell its Benchmark financial planning unit for mass affluent customers to Söderberg & Partners, part of the British company's strategy to focus its wealth business on richer clients.

  • The British firm has continued to shed non-core assets ahead of its planned £9.9 billion ($13.2 billion) sale to U.S. rival Nuveen.

  • Schroders will also become a long-term asset management partner to Sweden-based Soderberg as part of the deal. No sale price was disclosed.

  • Reuters reported in December that Schroders was exploring possible options for Benchmark, including a potential sale.

  • Soderberg operates across Europe and has 108 billion pounds ($144 billion) of assets under advice.

  • Schroders said it was still focused on wealth management, including through its Cazenove Capital unit in Britain and via operations overseas.

($1 = 0.7501 pounds)