Unigestion, the $24bn Swiss asset manager, has become the latest firm to announce it will pay for the cost of investment research from its own balance sheet ahead of sweeping new European Union rules.

There has been a flurry of similar announcements in recent weeks — the latest coming from the large US fund managers — as buyside firms prepare for changes to the way research is paid for under the updated Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, known as Mifid II, which comes into force on January 3.