The year 2009 will usher in a heavy focus on change and transparency, with risk management becoming a major area of investment for financial services firms.
A new report from Aite Group, LLC provides insight into the top 10 securities and investments industry trends expected for 2009.
The year 2008 was dramatic, to say the least. It saw financial services firms buckle and fall into bankruptcy or be rescued by other firms; the word "bailout" became common vernacular; and market gyrations have left most firms and investors dazed and confused. The year 2009 will usher in a heavy focus on change and transparency. Once the dust settles, risk management and new regulations will rise to the forefront as key initiatives, electronic trading will continue in full force, and there will be significant changes in clearing as the markets usher in new regulations. Aite Group sees significant growth in this space, and record-setting volumes exchanging hands electronically. And amid unsure markets, registered investment advisors (RIAs) will grow in leaps and bounds.
"While the market likely continues to swing as more credit issues unfold, government and business personnel change, and trading becomes increasingly sensitivity to risk, these factors will continue to impact every facet of the capital markets," says Adam Honoré, senior analyst with Aite Group and a co-author of this report. "Regulatory bodies will consolidate and increase their scrutiny. Woe unto any firm caught taking advantage of consumers, or firms lacking decent compliance tools for broker oversight and fraud detection. Recently appointed SEC chairperson Mary L. Schapiro was not soft on this area in her previous position at FINRA, and she is even less likely to be so at the SEC."
This 30-page Impact Note contains 10 figures and one table. Clients of both Aite Group’s Retail and Institutional Securities & Investments services can download the report by clicking on the icon to the right.
