Free Trial

Global Investor Magazine Copying and distributing are prohibited without permission of the publisher

Feature: Innovation beats regulation

04 February 2010

2010 has carried on where 2009 left off with the spectre of regulation hanging over the financial markets which is a call to arms for more innovation

2010 has carried on where 2009 left off with the spectre of regulation hanging over the financial markets. At the same time Government continues to get bigger, in education and healthcare as well as financial markets, in both the United States and Europe. President Obama is trying to go on the offensive by pushing for the banks to be broken up, separating investment banking from the consumer business. Britain’s Chancellor, Alistair Darling, is considering the same recommendation. However, as the State encroaches and the threat of regulation builds, there will be a significant creativity push to fend off the potential bottleneck of bigger government and increased regulation. This creativity will be evident on both the buy-side and the sell-side and will be driven, in particular, through technological efficiency and operational excellence. A report from Aite Group recently found that business agility was financial firms’ top objective for 2010. This was...


 

Poll

What will UCITS IV mean to the market?

It will increase economies of scale and reduce costs for UCITS investors
34%
It will provide more choice, transparency and investor protection
17%
It will encourage the consolidation of funds
17%
It will result in a push by firms to domicile in a single location as opposed to multiple
17%
No real effect at all
14%