** Asset management stocks rise in afternoon trading after the U.S. Federal Reserve cuts interest rates for the first time since 2020
** BlackRock BLK.N, Franklin Resources BEN.N, Invesco IVZ.N and T Rowe Price TROW.O rise between 1.2% and 2.3%
** Asset managers have had to contend with softer flows in recent years as high interest rates boosted the appeal of safe-haven assets like cash
** Some investors were also waiting for more certainty on the trajectory of interest rates before wading back into riskier assets
** The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half of a percentage point on Wednesday
(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru)