Projected increase of IT spending to 2018 signals the beginning of the end of the recession
Financial Markets IT Spending on the Rise
After a few tumultuous years following the banking crisis, IT tech spending in the financial markets is set to rise, according to new research from Ovum*. There is a consensus across the capital markets, corporate banking and asset management that tech spending will grow between now and 2018, with overall financial markets spending exceeding $100bn in 2018. This is attributed mainly to investment in IT driving cost-savings elsewhere in the business.
Capital Markets
Daniel Mayo
With a dire end to 2013, 2014 is set to be a difficult year. But after a weak 3.7% IT spend growth in 2013, this year will see an increase across the sector, with 4.8% global growth. Last year’s slump was on the currency and commodity side of the capital markets, and with quantitative easing starting to drop off, there is a return to focusing on the equities market. This will drive spending back to IT, due to the more intensive load on technology needed.
Banks Invest in Future-Ready IT Systems
“Banks are currently in the process of renewing their platforms and are investing in IT for the future. This investment will be mostly focused on the front office in order to improve order management systems, but we will also see a continuation of significant investment in the back office to improve automation and scalability levels,” says Daniel Mayo, practice leader, financial services technology, Ovum.
With financial institutions wanting to move towards a central banking function, they too will be consolidating and improving their systems in order to make them more efficient. Currently, the capital markets are very product-siloed and, like banks, are looking to transform their trading platforms. IT spending will pick up over the long term, with overall IT spend growing with a 6.4% CAGR between 2014 and 2018.
Corporate Banking
Corporate Banking IT Growth Accelerates
While the capital markets are picking up slowly, corporate banking IT spending is heading towards a year of outright growth in 2014. In 2013, the IT spending growth rate was just over 3%, and in 2014 this is set to rise to 5% as banks invest in their systems to provide liquidity management.
Corporate banking is looking to utilise cash effectively in investments, in a change from the financial crisis pattern of using it to fulfil cash flows and collateral management. The lending side of corporate banking is the primary driver of growth, but the transactional side of the business is also on the upswing, driven mainly by IT spending.
“While capital strengthening still remains an important aspect of corporate banking, the focus is shifting to revenue growth,” says Mayo. “Lending is picking up and banks are looking to IT to analyse and understand lending decisions in order to minimise the risk of another financial crisis. This increase in responsible lending suggests that the end of the credit crunch is in sight.”
Asset Management
Asset Management Spending Returns to Pre-Crisis Levels
Asset management IT spending is also on the rise. Having recovered from the financial crisis, it has reached pre-crisis credit levels and looks healthy overall. It is not all good news though: this masks a polarisation of the industry. The IT load of asset management is being squeezed between passive tracker funds on one side and more specialist hedge funds on the other. Most asset managers are looking to diversify and increase the number of funds that they offer. This is driving IT investment, to cope with the diversification of services, driving an increase in spending from 2% growth in 2013 to a 5.1% CAGR between 2014 and 2018.
Mayo says: “The element that is driving most of IT spending revolves around appeasing investors. With a current trend of account holders desiring visibility and control, particularly in the digital channels, client servicing systems are having more money placed into them. On another note, with the continuing focus on cost control in asset management, much of the investment marked to improve IT infrastructure has been put on hold.”
Focus on Client Servicing and Digital Channels
In the Ovum’s ICT Enterprise Insights survey, 50% of respondents said they were increasing investment in client servicing systems, with 20% significantly increasing investment. The whole industry is beginning to pick up, but the areas of IT investment focus vary depending on the sector.
