Prime brokerage is relatively young compared with other mainstream business sectors and it is only now starting to show signs of maturity. Whereas the focus until recently had been on financing, locating and settling cash stocks for long/short equity funds, this is changing fast. Many prime brokerage units are expanding into consultancy, research, risk management, straight through processing, credit intermediation and derivatives and synthetics clearing.

There has been a shift from short-term, transaction-oriented relationships to long-term, service-oriented relationships.