Taiwan’s exchanges are reforming systems and regulations in an effort to open themselves up to the Asian fund market, in the hope that eventually its market will become a wealth management hub for overseas investors.

The European fund clearing system is still years away from being as streamlined as that of its US counterparts, but things are moving in the right direction.

Recordkeeping for European funds is still largely handled by third parties, but in these tough times improved automation of such back office services would offer a welcome efficiency boost.

With a decade of undifferentiated credit risk behind them, asset managers and investors are insisting that prime brokers rethink their arrangements. By Ceri Jones.

A function that has the potential to operate across the front and back office, risk management has more recently been absorbed into middle office’s remit and the investment process in general. By Nat Mankelow.

In their hunt for liquidity, many non-primary exchanges see better order routing as crucial to gaining market share. Can smart order routing save the day, or will flow always go to the incumbents? By Nat Mankelow.

The Kuwait stock exchange has a strong domestic focus and serves as a popular holding for many Kuwaiti families’ assets. But changes are afoot that could see the KSE become less insular and better regulated. By Spencer Anderson.

Securities lending revenues are as depressed as other areas of borrowing, but there is increased demand from clients seeking alpha combined with low risk. By Ceri Jones.

Transaction cost analysis is essential to measure the calibre of an end trade, but providers need to step up their game and improve the quality of the data supplied. By Nat Mankelow.

Multi-asset platforms and pan-European venues are competing heavily with traditional trading facilities as diversification drives through change. By Nat Mankelow.

The consolidation and co-location of IT systems has become a mainstream choice for trading firms who need to meet the speed and capacity demands made by their clients. By Ceri Jones.

The recently launched Damascus Stock Exchange has faced numerous teething problems, including finding a way around US trade sanctions to source software for the trading system and get the exchange up and running. By Nat Mankelow.

The asset servicing industry has risen to a number of challenges over the past 10 years as it has developed into a global business, and going forward it will continue to adapt to remain a key part of the investment management world. By Kalpana Fitzpatrick.

Hedge fund platforms can provide the independent oversight that may reassure investors and prove cost-effective, but can they provide a long-term solution or are they best suited to new start-ups? By Henry Smith.

The Lehman blowout left big credit investors like hedge funds with highly- leveraged portfolios stuffed full of hard-to-value instruments. But if the tools for valuing these complex assets and the risk management systems supporting the process had been better, things might have been different. By Nat Mankelow.

Pension fund trustees are demanding more detailed and more frequent updates from their asset managers, and these must be delivered in a language that the clients can understand. By Nat Mankelow.

Multilateral trading facilities could drive down costs and improve liquidity but the downturn in trading volumes has led to questions whether MTFs can break even in the current environment, and a number of launches have been postponed. By Ceri Jones.

Fund adminstrators are having to change their operational models to cope with the economic downturn. But is it the big players or the niche operators that are more likely to survive in the tough financial climate? By Kalpana Fitzpatrick.

Execution algorithms can give clients greater control but the expensive technology and lack of liquidity in the markets have stalled their growth. Nevertheless, market participants believe their use will increase in the future. By Rekha Menon.

Fund administrators have massively broadened their global reach but no one house can provide all the services required in every corner of the world, and whether they admit it or not, they still require local partners. By Gerry O’Kane.

The spotlight is firmly on OTC derivatives following the recent collapse of counterparties. Will centralised clearing finally produce the transparency and operational efficiency the buyside craves? By Nat Mankelow.

Volatile market conditions have made the ability to handle illiquid assets paramount in hedge fund administration, and specialist niche players are in a position to pick up business that the big administrators are unable to provide for. By Henry Smith.

A new breed of internet research technology is freeing equity analysts and stockpickers from the noise and chatter of the web, enabling them to explore underserved markets and, gradually, is engendering a realisation that what happens online can provide valuable fundamental information. By Peter Guest.

BNP Paribas has taken advantage of turmoil in the US financial sector to buy its way into contention in a prime brokerage market that historically has been dominated by local players. By Peter Guest.

Chairman and CEO of the DTCC Don Donahue is bullish about the Code of Conduct on clearing and settlement in Europe and insistent that the US utility’s place in the European clearing landscape will foster competition, interoperability and lower post-trade costs – just like it did back home. By Peter Guest.

It is surprising how little investors know about smart routing given that it is set to become one of the cornerstones of best execution, writes Richard Hills, head of electronic services at Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking.

Using the PartnerEx initiative, with its unique price finding mechanism, Equiduct Trading believes it has created the natural evolution of the stock exchange. By Peter Guest.

With the European Central Bank’s Target 2 Securities platform not expected to go live until 2013, a group of central securities depositories have announced the launch of their own venture, Link Up Market, to cooperate on cross border business. By Peter Guest.

Approaching its first anniversary, the Dubai Mercantile Exchange hopes to build on partnerships to capture the Middle East’s energy market and eclipse London and New York. By Peter Guest.

At a recent Institutional Investors’ Congress in Vienna, representatives of key pension schemes took time out from the debates about alpha and beta to offer some pointers on the dos and don’ts of institutional sales and client relationships. Martin Steward reports.

Hedge funds are increasingly open to litigation to recover losses from “fat-finger” errors and other operational foul-ups. Martin Steward talks to specialist insurance broker Baronsmead.

Short extension investments are gaining in popularity, but a lack of infrastructure and expertise could threaten some of the fledgling funds. Peter Guest looks at the effect they are having on systems and procedures.

Peter Guest talks to Adeo Ressi, founder of website thefunded.com, which allows entrepeneurs to elaborate on their experiences with venture capital companies.