Fair Report Card on Unbundling of Research Costs after MiFID II

According to a report in Tradenews, asset managers are generally negative about the effects of the unbundling requirements under MiFID II. The report cited a survey from RSRCHXchange, which polled 418 fund managers globally representing more than $30 trillion in assets under management. The poll found that over 80 percent of respondents outside of Europe believe unbundling is a bad thing for brokers, while 66 percent agree unbundling is also bad for asset managers. The survey highlighted concerns around pricing and access to research in the post-MiFID II environment, with 43 percent of fund managers in Europe saying that access to research providers was reduced or worse. RSRCHXchange’s survey also revealed that unbundling will likely go global over the next few years, with 83 percent of respondents in the U.S. stating unbundling will take effect within the next four years, and 53 percent of respondents in Asia expecting it to take effect within two years.