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Helping hands to manage change
Prime brokerage is relatively young compared with other mainstream business sectors and it is only now starting to show signs of maturity
Tough issues on the table, but outlook is bright for a vital service
Call it a reverse credit check. Hedge funds used to searching questions from prime brokers are turning the tables on them as bank creditworthiness questions arise
When monogamy isn't on the client's agenda
Dresdner Kleinwort came late to the prime brokerage game, launching in 2001, and soon recognised that its relationships with clients were unlikely to be monogamous
Rapid Asian growth has its dangers
Asia is a hot growth area for prime brokers at present as growth peters outs in Europe and the United States
As hedge funds swell so do demands on brokers
A big factor behind the rapid growth of hedge funds has been the fundamental change in who invests in them – institutions are increasingly replacing wealthy individuals
Growth of made-to-measure derivatives
Standardisation and automation are increasingly necessary in the swelling market for derivatives
A financial bridge between cultures
A swath of sharia-compliant financial products, from mortgages to investment funds, has been launched , driven by an explosion of wealth in the Middle East
Fewer cocktail parties, more marriage brokers
In the past six months the outlook for ‘cap intro’, along with other start-up services for hedge funds, has darkened as independent fund launches have plummeted
Small fry make a splash with niche operations
The lucrative and highly competitive prime brokerage business is dominated by fewer than 10 big investment banks, which focus on the largest 1,000 hedge funds.
Balancing priorities for investors within the Chinese walls
Clients of prime brokers are no longer so concerned about secrecy – funding issues have become paramount
