French funds are outflowing across many asset classes and the country’s closed market means distribution is locked down by the big players. No wonder top CEOs are looking abroad. George Mitton reports.

The UBS rogue trader scandal has reignited the controversy over exchange traded funds at a time when the French banking system is worryingly exposed to Greek debt. But investment professionals say most buyers are institutional investors who know the risks, writes George Mitton.

Several factors could expand demand for structured products despite today’s hostile environment. But providers must work hard to explain their processes, writes George Mitton.

The CEO at BNP Paribas Securities Services tells George Mitton about adopting an Anglo-Saxon mentality, pursuing global growth, and the revolution in over-the-counter derivatives clearing.

An uneasy mood afflicts the French custodian banks as the eurozone crisis continues to generate fear. The big players are divided over where to find global growth, but they hope regulation will offer new opportunities. George Mitton reports.

Multi-manager fund launches continue to decline, as does the number of administrators in the sector through consolidation. Stefanie Eschenbacher looks at the drivers for this and asks about prospects for new products in a tough fund-raising environment.

Naïm Abou-Jaoudé is steering Dexia AM as it tries to gain €30 billion of assets by 2014. At the same time, it wants to increase its external clientele to acquire more international customers. Angele Spiteri Paris reports.

It can be hard for thematic investors now as short-term decisions influence stock markets, finds Fiona Rintoul, who looks at certain themes driving the sector and asks how long we need to wait until they produce results.

Everyone has a role in reducing fund expenditure, says Martyn Cuff of Allianz Global Investors. But the industry must also make consumers aware that ‘frictional costs’ have already been greatly limited over the past 25 years.

The employment problem created by the UK’s retail distribution review within the financial advice industry are considerable, says Lyssa Barber of Allemby Hunt, who considers the future of recruitment and retention strategies.