
Brief
Increasing Regulation | Intermediaries are experiencing a game-changing moment in post-trade harmonization with new regulation and the introduction of the ECB centralized platform for securities settlement, TARGET2-Securities (T2S). This is driving potential consolidation in the industry and an increased need to differentiate through providing the best bundle of value-added services.
Clients’ Fiduciary Responsibility Increasing | Meanwhile, asset owner clients are facing regulatory pressures of their own, including various frameworks relating to stewardship, engagement and voting responsibilities. Asset owners need an effective way to exercise their voting rights cross-border and are demanding sophisticated proxy voting and governance solutions as part of the value-added service bundle their intermediaries offer.