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BarclayHedge: Best Index Provider – Savvy investors are considering non-bond alternative investments to provide portfolios with an element of diversification and offer protection during major market sell-offs. As they look to substitute parts of their fixed income holdings with hedge fund and managed futures, the demand for data on these assets has been on the rise. The volume and accuracy of these information requirements have also been evolving. This progress has buoyed firms like BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions Group, whose purpose is to help clients solve data and information-related problems.
NAV Fund Administration Group: Best Administrator – Middle-Office Services – Over the coming year, the hedge fund industry can expect further development in the area of technology, and in particular advancements including accelerated report delivery cycles, more efficient transaction processing, and enhanced data security.
These advancements can help managers meet the challenges posed by the need for greater data security, the increased costs of fund administration, and expanding rules and regulations. “We view our clients as partners, so we strive to provide them with one-stop solutions that offer the most comprehensive, inclusive suite of services at a highly competitive cost,” outlines Ambuj
Peaks Strategies: Best PR & Communications Firm – In light of increasing market volatility and market dislocations, there continues to be a need and demand for more niche managers to find overlooked investment opportunities.
“Newer clients include those that are bringing niche investment strategies to the fold as investors continue to look for non-correlation and true sources of alpha,” comments Armel Leslie, Partner at Peaks Strategies, “We believe that the bulk of assets are no longer exclusively chasing the larger managers, and are by extension avoiding crowded trades.”
The firm is also seeing flow from fintech firms: “Clients include innovative data
Sadis & Goldberg: Best Law Firm – The marketplace is in demand of Alpha and Beta. In view of this, the industry can expect to see strong growth with the launch of open-end funds and growth of assets under management due to the market’s recent ongoing volatility since March 2020.
With some exceptions, law firm Sadis & Goldberg has seen a shift from alternatives to more traditional assets classes such as global macro, credit and long short equity. “There are always exceptions as we continue to launch closed end funds focused on investment in real estate, insurance dedicated funds, life settlement,
Horseshoe Fund Services: Best Offshore Administrator – Hedge fund managers are seeking fresh ideas to achieve position returns. This need has driven significant growth in private lending/specialty financing, including real estate loans, peer-to-peer lending and merchant cash advances.
“While borrow/interest rates in general remain very low, there is increased scrutiny on lending to individuals and small businesses, particularly those that are seeing especially volatile cash flows due to the current economic and social environments,” comments Michael Gentile, Senior Vice President, Head of US Operations, Horseshoe, “Hedge funds, often holding a surplus of cash on hand, can help fill this void and
RFA: Best Outsourced IT Provider – While security has always been at the forefront for funds, this year has tested defence practices and security frameworks utilised by the sector globally. The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed firms to identify and quickly mitigate any new security gaps. This new landscape has accelerated the adoption of advanced security and control measures to survive.
“Covid-19 and the impact of social distancing have become the ultimate tech disrupter, driving investment and digitalisation innovations,” says George Ralph, managing director, RFA, ”This growth has been reflected in an increase in the need to manage distributed workforce transformations and
Ogier: Best Offshore Law Firm – The continued growth of global regulations will continue to have an impact on every aspect of the investment funds industry, including the Cayman Islands as a jurisdiction. In this environment of rising regulation investment managers are increasingly looking to law firms like Ogier to provide them with support and help bring consistency across jurisdictions.
“Clients need our assistance not only on Cayman Islands regulatory matters. They are also looking for cross-jurisdictional support from our other offices in Luxembourg and the Channel Islands, as well as our BVI and HK teams,” says James Bergstrom, Ogier’s Global
Eze Castle Integration: Best Cybersecurity Provider – In today’s remote world, firms now more than ever need to ensure the security of their distributed workforces. The Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on global businesses as well as their employees who have had to adapt to new environments and adopt new collaboration methods.
This rush to the edge of the network has also brought significant security challenges. As a result, firms are taking a closer look at their security postures and investing in technology to not only better secure their organisations but also make employees more productive.
Commenting on these developments, Steve
DMS Governance: Best Offshore Regulatory & Compliance Firm – Regulation is changing rapidly across all jurisdictions and as hedge fund managers look to capitalise on increasing institutional investor interest, they are reaching out for the global support to facilitate this. As well as ensuring that they adhere fully to the current rules they must also be well primed for any future amendments.
“Clients are no longer looking for single jurisdictional support from DMS and to that end, we are focusing keenly on providing global support to our clients,” comments Matthew Brown, Managing Director, DMS Governance.
Present in multiple financial centres across
Align: Best Cloud Services Provider – The changing needs of fund managers, driven by regulatory and industry progress, means Managed Services Providers are in a strong position to capitalise on these developments. The increased demand for regulatory-compliant IT services, increasing focus on operational standards and controls as well as the abrupt shift to a decentralised workforce have contributed to Align breaking the 350 client threshold in just about three years of going to market.
