07/06/2016
European asset management ready for changes
European asset management is ready for quicker changes and maybe disruptions, the ratings agency Fitch Ratings claims in a study dedicated to the industry (“European Asset Management Industry: Ripe For Change.”) Historically, the sector has already been relatively resistant to change, and asset managers have highly varied levels of will and capacity for change, but “the status quo is no longer an option at a time when the expectations of institutional investors are continuing to grow,” Fitch Ratings claims.Last year, assets at European asset management firms rose a furtehr 10%, in line with previous years, but the ratings agency predicts that growth will be more moderate this year, with lower returns from the market and a slowdown in inflows. Last year, the increase in assets under management was driven by the largest increase in net subscriptions since 2007, rather than the performance of assets. Though the major categories of funds all posted net inflows last year, first quarter 2016 brought net redemptions in the major asset classes, particularly bonds. However, investors are more exposed to alternative assets.
