The Global Asset Management Industry: Competitive Structure and Performance

The asset management industry represents one of the most dynamic parts of the global financial services sector. Funds under institutional management are massive and growing rapidly, particularly as part of the resolution of pension pressures in various parts of the world. The industry is not, however, well understood from the perspective of industrial organization and international competition, which is the focus of this paper. It begins with a schematic of asset management in a national and global flow‐of‐funds context, identifying the types of asset‐management functions that are performed and how they are linked into the financial system. It then assesses in some detail the three principal sectors of the asset management industry—mutual funds, pension funds, and private‐client assets, as well as foundations, endowments, central bank reserves and other large financial pools requiring institutional asset management services. Relevant comparisons are drawn between the United States, Europe, Japan and selected emerging‐market countries. This is followed by a discussion of the competitive structure, conduct and performance of the asset management industry, and its impact on global capital markets.