Since the 2008 financial crisis, derivatives have been in the regulatory spotlight. One of the dedicated protective rules that was introduced in 2016 was around the need to post risk-based initial margin into segregated accounts for uncleared derivatives. This requirement will continue to be phased in through 2021. In order to conform with these uncleared…

The good times are back in capital markets, although you wouldn’t know it from the headlines in Europe. The industry is generating around a trillion dollars in net annual revenues and overall profitability is high. But taking a look behind the numbers reveals a cause for concern, particularly for some of the sell-side players. The…

Accenture’s latest analysis, our Capital Markets Vision 2022, shows a highly diverse picture of investment bank performance and outlook. Yes, the top four investment banks (all generating above $20bn in revenue and all US domiciled) are creating significant economic profits and thus shareholder value. And yes, profitable niches do exist further down the scale for…

In my previous blog post, I shared some of the top-level findings of our latest report, Capital Markets Vision 2022. In short, our analysis predicts three overarching industry trends that will drive a period of ongoing change in capital markets. But what is happening at the sub industry level? We’ll delve into the effects of…

From Charles Darwin to David Packard, there’s been much said about organisms and organizations adapting to change—rather than ignoring their new environments. Framed by disruption and uncertainty, the “old” ways of working are becoming less nostalgic and more of a case study. Business and economic models are evolving today faster than ever before; it’s a…

What will the capital markets industry look like in 2022? Should we expect the industry to “normalize” and return to look much as it did a decade-or-so ago? That might be the view of some industry observers. But Accenture’s outlook is different. We foresee a period of ongoing change and adaptation through to 2022, driven…