In 2008, assets managed by the European fund management industry decreased by more than 22% according to Efama (European Fund and Asset Management Association).

Buy-side order management systems (OMS) have evolved significantly over the last decade. They have become highly-engineered platforms incorporating a vast array of functionality that goes significantly beyond basic order management, with complex modelling tools, advanced analytics and integrated execution management.

Countries such as Poland and Hungary are promising places for asset servicing firms to do business, both to satisfy local demand for fund services, and to locate low-cost processing centres. George Mitton asks if the Aifm directive could shake up the network of sub-custodians in the region

The UK’s financial regulator, the FSA, issued its promised further guidance on the Remuneration Code on 21 April.

Veering off track when trying to keep an eye on commodity prices with exchange-traded products should not deter investors, finds Angele Spiteri Paris

Investment in infrastructure is key to the continued development of the Indian economy, says Susanta Mazumdar at T. Rowe Price

Institutional investors are likely to increase e-trading in the near future, says Rupert Warmington of Tradeweb, as vanilla products prevail and regulators push for price transparency

Nicholas Pratt finds that restructuring dealing desks to aid cross-asset trading is helping some firms scrutinise brokers and risk-manage trades more effectively

High-frequency trading, dark pools and flash crashes have become part of the trading world’s lexicon and  are now within the radar of regulators. Nicholas Pratt examines what kind of regulatory response buy-side heads of trading would prefer

Stability has returned to the CEE region which endured a panic effect in the wake of the financial crisis and had to rebuild confidence in investment in the aftermath of the fall of communism. Fiona Rintoul reports