BUZZ-UK asset managers: positive broker comment, results boost shares

** Hargreaves Lansdown (LSE: HL.L - news) up c3 pct, among the top FTSE 100 gainers after a slew of PT hikes following solid quarterly results on Wednesday

** JP Morgan raises PT to 1200p from 1160p (rating "neutral"); RBC (Other OTC: RBCI - news) increases PT to 1400p from 1025p, raises to "sector perform" from "underperform"

** RBC reckons stock remains well-positioned as the leading incumbent in a growing market, but flags valuation concerns

** Hargreaves' forward P/E growth at 125 pct premium to its peers, according to Thomson Reuters (Dusseldorf: TOC.DU - news) data, (and is the most expensive on almost any metric vs peers)

** Hedge fund manager Man Group (LSE: EMG.L - news) climbs c.4 pct after recording net inflows for the first time this year.

** Panmure upgrades PT to 185p from 180p; raises to "buy" from "hold"

** Other financials such as Aberdeen, Schroders and Jupiter up 1-2 pct (RM (LSE: RM.L - news) : aastha.agnihotri.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)