The consultantSS&C Technologies on Monday, 18 March published a composite index which analyses the results for 18 US-based, publicly-traded asset management firms in fourth quarter 2018. Among the 18 asset management firms are AMG, AllianceBernstein, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Invesco, Janus Henderson ou encore Legg Mason et T. Rowe Price.* After analysing market perforamnce and inflows at the 18 publicly-traded firms, SS&C Technologies finds that 97.5% of the decline in assets under managementin fourth quarter 2018 for the group of asset managers analysed was due to market performance, while the remaining 2.5% was due to net inflows. Overall, the group of firms saw steady outflows in the quarter from October to December 2018, for a total of $26.5bn (compared with $32.4bn in third quarter 2018). 13 out of the 18 firms which make up the indicator had negative flows in fourth quarter 2018. As a result of the decline in assets under management, operating profit margins at the asset management firms as a wholewere impacted, and fell from 32.7% to 30.1% between October and December 2018. The consultant notes that these are the lowest operating profit margins since first quarter 2016. Out of the 18 asset management firms that make up the indicator, seven saw improvements to their margins in fourth quarter 2018, while the other 11 faced a decline in their operating margins. SS&C Technologies notes another development at the group of asset management firms analysed: asset-generated fee revenuesare down (-5.8%), and a reduction in the overall earnings (-5.6%), which fell to a cumulative $11.58bn for the 18 asset management firms. The consultant adds that all of the companies saw a decline in their revenues in fourth quarter 2018. Operating expenses at the 18 asset management firms overall fell 2% compared with third quarter 2018, primarily through a decline in distribution and compensation costs. *The 18 asset management firms in the SS&C Technologies composide indicator are: Affiliated Managers Group, Alliance Bernstein, Artisan Partners , BlackRock, Cohen & Steers, Diamond Hill Investment Group, Federated Investors, Franklin Templeton, GAMCO, Invesco, Janus Henderson Group, Legg Mason, Manning & Napier, Pzena Investment Management, SEI, T. Rowe Price, Victory Capital, and Waddell & Reed.