Further political uncertainty in Europe tops the list of concerns for Singapore investment managers for 2017. But what about the incoming U.S. President?
The just released 2017 Investment Management Association of Singapore (IMAS) survey, sees political turbulence across Europe as a major concern.
The survey was conducted late in 2016 and therefore the ubiquitous tweets of president elect Donald J. Trump did not have a serious influence on the investment managers' outlook.
China Calm For Now
The survey which was presented at a media briefing lunch in Singapore, identified three key themes affecting the industry in 2017, with increasing regulatory obligations and new distribution technologies cited as most likely to impact asset managers businesses.
«2016 saw significant political change in Europe and the United States and this is likely to continue to cause uncertainty for investors in the near term. Interestingly comfort levels around China have improved although the outlook for emerging markets in general remains unclear,» said Nicholas Hadow, (pictured) Chairman of IMAS.
Good or Bad Fintech Influence
Over 70 percent of the IMAS members surveyed said the ever rising costs of governance is of great concern and a top business worry. Low returns due to ongoing economic lethargy and shortage of manpower talent to support growth were also seen as the biggest potential threats to the growth of the investment management industry in Singapore in the next 3 years.
More than half of the Singapore based fund managers anticipate increasing demand for lower cost products, together with the rise of financial technology in funds distribution and regulatory obligations as future drivers of investment and innovation in the next three years.
However the entry of disruptive competitors from outside of the investment management industry also ranked highly as a worry to the IMAS members.
