Articles

Risk undoubtedly plays a major factor in any business today, but for hedge funds in particular, with the complexity surrounding them, risk of any kind should sound alarm bells.One of the key operational risks that hedge funds face today is spreadsheet risk, which are still common practice but no longer viable in today’s operational environment... read more

The future profitability of financial technology providers is in jeopardy this year believes IDC Financial Insights as IT spending by EMEA banks will decrease to a growth rate of just 2.9% in 2012. The gloomy prediction, made at the Pewterers’ Hall last night in the City of London during IDC’ s 2012 Predictions for EMEA Financial Services... read more

As 2011 drew to a close and we at Instinet pondered what’s to come for traders, it seemed that 2012 would not so much see an emergence of entirely new trends but instead a continuation of many of the same developments from the past few years. The environment is unquestionably challenging. There are, however, some pockets of opportunity in which... read more

A rapid shift in attitude towards cloud computing is happening within the financial services industry. A recent Gartner survey (1) found that cloud is the top priority for global FS CIOs, yet the hype surrounding the topic often suggests otherwise. IBM’s Nick Davis cuts through the noise to answer the question – what is really happening with... read more

By Julian Buck, managing director, Version OneAmidst a turbulent economic climate, UK businesses are looking at ways to cut costs while ensuring greater control over spending. Procurement is under close scrutiny in many UK organisations, however somewhat surprisingly, some companies’ procure to pay (P2P) processes remain paper heavy and labour-... read more

By Richard Helliar, UK managing director for Global Business Operations, Cordys.The global credit crisis has forced change in the dynamic between credit and cash management and as a result the market now rewards companies that are liquid and less reliant on external funding. Recently Citigroup stated that companies with higher liquidity are... read more

By Dale Stevens, head of Capital Markets, SAS UKThe global financial crisis and ongoing market volatility in the eurozone are having profound implications for the capital markets. A bout of stringent regulation has swept through the industry in recent years and banks are under pressure to better understand their risk exposure. The global regulatory... read more

By Andy Mellor, senior product manager, financial control solutions, FiservAccountability or responsibility? So maybe it’s not what Shakespeare had in mind, but surely this is the question. The question that keeps CFOs awake at night, that is. And CROs, CEOs, line of business managers, and auditors, as well. Recent news articles have highlighted... read more

By Jor Molchan, director, Sapient Global Markets,Fabrice Douglas Rouah, director, Sapient Global MarketsThe increased use of over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives, such as barrier options, is presenting new challenges for writers of these options who wish to hedge their positions. Hedging involves eliminating risk in one investment by taking an... read more