SunGard and RBC Dexia Investor Services, one of the world's largest fund transfer agents, have collaborated to provide an automated fund trading and settlement solution for global markets.
The solution will help SunGard customers connect to and trade with approximately 9,000 additional funds available in Europe on RBC Dexia's platform through a single connection. The solution will include RBC Dexia's fund trading Web portal providing trading automation, custody and daily net settlement integrated with SunGard Transaction Network's (STN) Funds trade routing for funds in Europe and Asia. STN Funds provides customers with access to global mutual funds, UCITS and exchange traded funds, and facilitates straight-through processing between fund companies and a variety of bank, brokerage and retirement recordkeeping and accounting systems.
The number of fund investments and the variety of fund choices continue to grow worldwide. In Europe, however, the absence of a central trading and clearing entity, and the challenge of managing trading parameters specific to each fund complex, make trading funds a manual and costly process. By providing a single connection to many fund choices, including more than 9,000 funds available on RBC Dexia's platform, STN Funds can help firms gain operational efficiency and reduce costs and errors. It also helps eliminate the need for customers to establish individual memberships with clearing entities and separate trading agreements. This solution also provides customers with revenue potential to help them increase intermediary revenues and offset transaction charges.
Rob Wright, global head, product & client segments at RBC Dexia, said, "In ever changing global markets, maintaining optimal levels of operational efficiency can be challenging, particularly when managing multiple products and specialist investment strategies. RBC Dexia's collaboration with SunGard will help customers develop new products and expand into new markets by providing global coverage and product breadth to meet increasingly complex needs of global investors."
Bob Ward, chief operating officer of SunGard's wealth management business, said, "The integration of STN and RBC Dexia's solutions will provide global businesses with a virtual international fund platform that offers product breadth for accessing mutual funds, UCITS and exchanged traded funds. The service will provide the streamlined connectivity and trading, straight-through processing and operational efficiencies financial institutions need to effectively compete and grow their businesses."