Podcast — UK FinReg Focus Areas in 2025: Wholesale Markets
Brexit & Financial Services: Preparing for the End of the Transition Period
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") has published its final Policy Statement on Investment research payment optionality for fund managers (PS25/4) (see here for our note on PS25/4’s preceding Consultation Paper). The...more
His Majesty’s Treasury issued consultation paper—and the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) Call for Input—in April, setting out proposals for a revised regime under the Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM)...more
Following the turn of the new year, our UK Regulatory specialists have examined the key regulatory developments in 2025 impacting a range of UK and European firms within the financial services sector. The key dates have been...more
Further to its consultation in spring 2024, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed in Policy Statement PS24/9, “Payment Optionality for Investment Research,” that, with effect from today, 1 August 2024,...more
During his remarks at a meeting of the International Bar Association’s Asset Management Industry Conference on Global Challenges and Opportunities in Boston, Commissioner Uyeda commented on investment research and the...more
Key developments in May 2024: ESG: The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) updated its webpage on the sustainability disclosure requirements (“SDR”) and investments labelling regime. Among other things, the webpage has been...more
Background - On 23 May 2024, Ashley Alder, the Chair of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), delivered a speech which outlined the regulator’s agenda for the asset management sector (the “Speech”). In particular,...more
Since 3 January 2018, firms that provide portfolio management or investment advice on an independent basis must pay for the research they obtain, either by absorbing the cost of the research themselves or by passing on that...more
As a result of Brexit, UK-regulated firms will already have grappled with loss of passporting and equivalence measures, and the need to navigate national regimes and relocate staff. As of today, EU firms operating in the UK...more
FCA found instances of non-compliance with the product governance rules which, in its view, increases the risk of investor harm. Background - On 26 February 2021, the FCA published a webpage setting out eight asset...more
The AMF has published a report containing a number of new proposals relating to production of research under MiFID II. Key Points: ..The report pointedly criticises the original MiFID requirements (most of which were...more
Smaller and medium-sized managers are seeking scale to compete with "the trillionaires", who have enjoyed the lion's share of business inflows in 2018. Industry-wide margin squeeze, fierce market competition, eager buyers and...more
There is much for authorised firms to consider in the year ahead. Firms have been through the intensive period of the enactment of the second Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II), but must now step up their...more
2 June - The ESMA published its final report on guidelines on product governance requirements under the MiFID II Directive (2004/65/EU). The guidelines (set out in Annex IV) to the final report aim to promote greater...more
The MiFID II regime will have ramifications for buy-side global asset managers and sell-side research providers relating to use of dealing commissions and cost allocation for research expenditures....more
The Financial Conduct Authority published a statement on the use of dealing commission by investment management firms, including asset managers and wealth managers. The FCA conducted a review of firms' practices from 2012 and...more
Asset Managers Face Some Difficult Decisions - 2017 is proving to be a stressful and costly year for asset managers. The terms of the UK’s exit from the EU will continue to be the subject of extensive debate, both...more
Welcome to the UK Regulation Round Up, a regular bulletin highlighting the latest developments in UK regulation for alternative asset managers. The start of 2017 saw a number of regulatory developments including...more
On July 21, 2016, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom (UK) published a thematic review: UK equity market dark pools - Role, promotion and oversight in wholesale markets. Background - The...more
In this week's newsletter, we provide a snapshot of the principal US, European and global financial regulatory developments of interest to banks, investment firms, broker-dealers, market infrastructure providers, asset...more
Financial regulation is in a constant state of flux or, if you are feeling generous, evolution. In this publication, we focus on 10 key issues that we believe firms should be aware of going into 2016: - increased...more