In the dynamic realm of securities finance, change is the only certainty. Regulatory waves continually reshape the landscape, demanding swift adaptation from firms in the space, but what happens when there is a swell and they all arrive concurrently? This feature explores the effects of recent amendments, including the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation (SFTR), the adoption of the SEC’s Rule 10c-1, and the impending T+1 regulation in the US.

Custodians and their clients alike are facing up to operational resilience regulations around the world, but at a time when the shift to T+1 is taking up time, money and attention, how much focus is being placed on these major requirements the strengthen the defences of the financial system.

Speaking to Global Custodian, State Street CEO Ron O’Hanley discusses leadership plans for its prized investment services unit, future proofing the business through a billion dollar investments and just how transformative Alpha is for the organisation and its clients.

Put the puzzle pieces together on Deutsche Bank’s custody business in 2024 and you get a very difference picture to that of the 2010s – so should we call it a comeback? Global Custodian’s Jonathan Watkins talks to Deutsche Bank’s securities services head Paul Maley about the sub-custodian's strategy three years into his role, going under the radar with innovation and what he believes is behind the turnaround.

A busy 18 months has seen SIX upgrade its post-trade platform, launch custody services in Spain and strike a deal with Piraeus, among a range of other innovation announcements. Javier Hernani, head of securities services, discusses SIX’s strategy and why choice and connectivity are at the heart of its plans to futureproof its business.

Lou Maiuri has had a decorated career in financial services including roles at three trust banks which followed his entrepreneurial days as the founder of Eagle Investment Systems. Here, we tell his story through a series of high-profile deals which he led, lessons on leadership and what he’s planning to do next as he departs State Street after a decade.

Due to be completed over the course of 2024, the integration marks a continuation of BNP Paribas’ expansion strategy, and raises questions about the level of investment required to stay competitive in the marketplace.  

A surge of new data processing and analytical tools is revolutionising the way in which custodians and their clients interact with each other and the data they share.

Independent firms, custodians, and investment banks make up the outsourced trading provider landscape with all experiencing levels of success and uptake, but the future make-up could look very different as M&A activity has begun, larger clients are coming to the table and other major players may look to get in on the action. We assess who will win out, how these organisations differ and how the service provider space will evolve in the coming years.

BNY Mellon and Standard Bank are celebrating a 25-year alliance. What does this entail beyond the intrinsic global custodian / agent bank relationship? Global Custodian spoke to Hani Kablawi, head of international, Bank of New York Mellon and Crosby Mkhwanazi, group head, transaction banking, Standard Bank, to find out.

Leaps in technological advancement over the last decade have focused the minds of both servicers and clients on what can and should be possible as part of a fund servicing offering. Investments in tech are at an all-time high, as players in the space seek to gain the edge in a highly competitive field.

Challenges for hedge funds are coming in all directions, from volatility to regulation and market structure changes, while primes are also having to adapt to this evolution. At the same time, one prime’s loss is another one’s gain, as challenger primes continue to eye market share in a fiercely competitive middle of the pack, picking up new business of emerging managers. This is a space never short of entertainment and drama.

Can the financial services industry achieve seamless cross-chain transactions without central coordination?

Recent innovations in the securities finance space are truly set to transform the sector, with those who have spent decades working in the segment optimistic about an evolving market structure. To drive that forward, service providers are taking a collaborative approach to the technology with interoperability at the heart, which will underpin the market of the future.

The latest demonstration of the SEC’s unwavering quest to improve visibility in financial markets comes in the shape of new amendments to Form PF – designed to increase protection against market moving events.