“Tone from within” – shining the spotlight for conduct risk identification onto individuals – latest FCA feedback on the 5CQ

16 September, 2020
The FCA recently published its Industry Feedback for 2019/20 on its 5 Conduct Questions (5CQ) Programme. This year the FCA’s focus was on individuals, and instead of annual conduct meetings (which typically involve top management executives and global heads) it hosted roundtable sessions with individuals at vice president level (or equivalent) – which it refers to as ‘the Engine Room’ – across a number of wholesale banks. Read more

FMSB Spotlight Review on measuring FICC execution quality

15 September, 2020
The FICC Market Standards Board (FMSB) recently published a spotlight review on the ability of FICC (fixed income, currencies and commodities) market participants to measure trade execution quality. The Review comes amid increasing market interest in best execution and transaction cost analysis from both regulators and clients particularly in the wake of MiFID II. Read more

FCA: Market Watch 65

11 September, 2020
The FCA recently published the latest edition of Market Watch, which covers three topics – information handling requirements, legal privilege, and transaction reporting. Read more

PRA Dear CEO letter to firms on operational readiness for TPR

03 September, 2020
As the end of the Brexit transition period approaches, the PRA has published a letter from Sam Woods, Deputy Governor for Prudential Regulation and CEO of the PRA, to CEOs of all PRA-regulated firms preparing for the end of the transition period and for entering the Temporary Permissions Regime (TPR). The letter stresses the need for firms to be operationally prepared to enter the TPR and to ensure that they are able to meet the PRA’s regulatory requirements once they are in the TPR. The transition period is due to end at 11pm on Thursday 31 December 2020 at which point the TPR will take effect. Read more

ESMA writes a letter to the European Commission regarding the reform of the AIFMD

01 September, 2020
A letter to the European Commission dated 18 August 2020 from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has been published. Ostensibly relating to the upcoming review of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD), it is, true to recent EU legislative form, expansive in its ambition and has raised a number of questions around potential impacts on the whole of the fund management industry, including the Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS). Read more