With the passage of the Securities Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Rule 6c-11 and the approval of various models for semi and non-transparent exchange traded funds (ETFs), everyone wants a piece of the ETF action. As an ETF distributor, we get asked many questions about how our policies and procedures work, what our fees are, how long it takes, etc. As a medallion distributor of ETFs, our role is more of a regulatory oversight role, which perhaps causes confusion. The distributor works primarily with the trust, the transfer agent/custodian and the authorized participant.
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Public companies and investment firms tend to operate in a way that is in keeping with the preferences of their shareholders. More recently, an increasing interest in environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns has prompted companies to include those practices in their investment decisions and principles.
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Launching a hedge fund involves planning for operations as well as overall strategy. A strong operational setup positions you to get up and running smoothly and ready to start growing. One option to launch quickly is to partner with a front-to-back solution, but how do you choose the right provider for your needs?
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While hedge fund side pockets are typically used by hedge fund managers to manage liquidity and reduce risks around sudden redemptions, managers are increasingly viewing side pockets as a path to opportunities outside of a fund’s core strategy or mandate, as they can be used in pursuit of asset classes like private equity and real estate, derivatives or cryptocurrencies.
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Trends like exponential growth, new entrants to the space and investor focus on low-cost products have led to an increased interest in front-to-back ETF servicing solutions. These trends are also prompting providers to take a more consultative approach, helping sponsors develop their own internal workflows. In fact, basket services and workflow fees are the most important processes in the ecosystem. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation.
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The first half of 2021 saw several significant mergers and acquisitions in asset and wealth management, and the activity shows no signs of slowing. According to a recent PwC 2021 Midyear Outlook report, there were 145 transactions in the space in the first six months of the year. PwC anticipates the trend will continue amid ongoing diversification, innovation and transformation trends. SS&C recently sat down with several of our clients to discuss what M&A means for operations—and how technology providers can help their clients succeed.
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Data collected since the 2008 financial crisis continues to support the long growth trajectory of the underlying strategies and assets of credit, real assets and private equity. Following the trends, we know now the strength and resilience of these assets leading to what we now call private markets. Private markets fill investors’ need for diversification, yield and maximized returns.
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In a recent blog in this series, we previously discussed the importance of an effective response to planned and unplanned events for banks and insurers. Planning for disruptive events is also important for asset management operations, where an occasional mistake or event has a widespread financial impact on investors. In particular, there are some challenges and complexities that are specific to remediation.
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