The art of negotiation among management companies Part.III

The added value of management companies is based largely on the expertise of their managers. Asset management requires special expertise in research, analysis and asset allocation. Stock selection is the differentiating factor between two managers operating on a single asset class. It is illusory to believe that the outsourcing of the negotiation will generate a visible economy for clients in fund performance. The cost of passing order on the European market is marginal (around 10 basis points) with a strong competitive pressure between the brokers and trading venues. However, the hidden cost of time spent by managers to negotiate orders is increasingly important. Markets in Financial Instruments Directive are of complex activity that is not the heart of business managers. Take away this activity is a real opportunity for management companies that have the critical mass to do so. Still it must choose the organization most in tune with the business strategy and needs. There is no optimal model but a more or less well adapted to the demands of each society.

The outsourcing of the table can be made either:

* Internally within a banking group Intermediation.
* Externally within a company without any financial relationship as proposed.
Whatever model is chosen, the expected services are identical and they cover at least:

* product coverage in line with the needs of the management company enabling it to cover all stocks in its portfolios. This coverage should be as broad as possible in terms of asset classes (stocks, bonds, fixed income, OTC derivatives,) or geographical areas (Europe, Asia,)

* An immediate liquidity and maximum with the connection to all major trading venues (regulated markets) so as to capture liquidity and find the best tariff for execution. Of course, each transaction is respecting the execution policy established by the management company.

* Cutting-edge technology to successfully carry out the rules laid down in the policy of best execution. Markets in Financial Instruments Directive require proof that orders are made in the best interests of customers with traceability and archiving every transaction regardless of the broker or the place of negotiation. These investments in systems of increasing complexity are not always accessible to small societies. Beyond these basic services, independent negotiating structures develop and grow their service offerings to add value for companies seeking to offload management activities become peripheral to the image:

The art of negotiation among management companies Part.II

The idea has made its way to separate business management and negotiation. This segregation has the advantage of refocusing the business of asset managers on their heart and professionalizes the art of negotiation with the function of internal or external specialists.

Overall, the large organizations are possible for the trading activity in corporate management. The organization currently in place in most societies, is to entrust the job of negotiating with managers Organization. This model is suitable for entrepreneurial companies with a reduced size. For the latter, the separation of functions does not make sense because the economies of scale will not be sufficient to cover investment and fixed costs of a dedicated table. Consideration is still to carry out in order to study the possibility of a negotiating table outsourced Organization if they want to outsource this activity.

The first two organizations are in place historically. They remain highly topical for asset managers wishing to retain this activity in-house growth despite its complexity. Indeed, outsourcing is not always the best answer. The best evidence for activity reporting, which is considered strategic for many players despite the maturity of the market for outsourcing by the Custodians. The price test is a key element since the investment for the implementation of a table is important, the order of 1 to 4 million Euros, with a recurring cost close to 2 million Euros year. At this price, it is not opportune to embark on such a structure for less than 20 billion Euros in assets under management. Given these numbers, why reflections flourish among asset managers who are considering very seriously the outsourcing of this business after having already outsourced recovery, back office, middle office and more sporadically reporting?

The art of negotiation among management companies Part.I

Management companies are now undergoing profound changes to align their organization with their environment more and more moving. This activity is at the heart of recent regulatory changes in the regulation of European financial system. After the global changes they all are impacting the heart of business asset managers who need to rethink the scope of their job to keep the heart of their market share. There is also a strategic repositioning of universal banks with the creation of joint ventures or transfers.

Faced with such a movement, strategic thinking have addressed the issue of operational efficiency and focusing on the heart of art. Markets in Financial Instruments Directive without being itself the cause put a spotlight on the art of negotiation in most facilities asset management.

Historically, the art of negotiation is provided by the portfolio managers. These are dedicated portfolio management (analysis and monitoring of values, investment strategies, risk monitoring and ratios, respect of management objectives) but also the passing of orders. This second activity is highly time-consuming, to the detriment of the former which constitutes the real value of the managers. The introduction of Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, with the proliferation of trading venues, but also implemented the policy of "best execution" (obligation to justify the application of best execution to the client), has added trading activity. In order to process orders in the best possible conditions, management companies must connect to the main trading venues so that they can offer their customers the most advantageous terms. This search for best execution (both in terms of price, safety, reliability and traceability) requires an overhaul of the processing chain of command.