Up to 85% of investment fund professionals believe that fund closures and consolidation in Europe are set to continue, according to research carried out by Cerulli Associates and The Platforum on behalf of industry association the Fund Platform Group (FPG).
The report, A Snapshot of European Platforms, found that 42% of respondents believe that the number of funds in Europe will fall by 10-20% by the end of 2013, while 20% believe that the figure will fall by 20-30%. Expectations are in line with the level of fund closures in recent years, says the research Data shows that over the period 2008-2011 an average of 1,743 mutual funds closed each year. The record year for fund closures was 2009, which saw 2,037 vehicles closed down.
The study was commissioned by the FPG, an industry association whose members include many of the most prominent fund platforms. The report surveyed 70 firms, comprising fund buyers (13%), fund sellers (51%) and fund platforms (26%), as well as a selection of other industry players, including trade associations and trade bodies (10%).
Holly Mackay, CEO of The Platforum said: The trend of fund closures looks set to continue. Cost reduction is a major concern for fund managers, and many have to rationalize their product range in the face of challenging market conditions. The implementation of UCITS requirements and the associated administrative burden are only adding to the pressure that some managers are under, forcing them to reduce their offerings.
The report also shows that assets are increasingly concentrated in just a few large managers. A significant 67% of fund platforms hold the view that more than 60% of capital will be held by just 10 managers by 2015, while 60% of fund managers predicted the same. In contrast, just 33% of fund buyers believe they will see these levels of concentration, suggesting that there is a disconnect between platforms and fund distributors regarding the reality of global purchasing behavior.
Yoon NG, associate director of Cerulli Associates said: Since the financial crisis we have seen a herd mentality from fund buyers in Europe, with the majority of capital flowing into a select few products. Despite the variety available in open architecture, fund buyers have leaned toward bigger brands and larger funds. Consolidation of capital is likely to worsen which raises questions regarding sustainability for the majority of funds. Fund launches are likely to be more cautious and managers will be considering fund rationalization, though the cost and effort involved in the latter could act as a huge impediment.
(JDC)