BCS GLOBAL MARKETS
The importance of boutique prime brokers BCS Global Markets: Best Boutique Prime Broker
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he prime brokerage landscape has seen significant changes over the last couple of years, making it difficult for funds to source the right prime partner. BCS Global Markets has established itself as a boutique prime within the equities space and has recently won Hedgeweek’s Best Boutique Prime Broker award. Having the right partner is more important than ever. Emerging to medium sized hedge funds have not been given enough thought by some brokers. Being unable to meet what could proportionally be high brokerage fees for the fund has resulted in managers relying on online trading platforms, many of which were historically built for retail clients. BCS GM has filled this void in the market. “The market needs a combination of automated, technology-driven products which provide the efficiency to service a broad range of clients of various sizes. They need to do this while maintaining the service component and with it, the flexibility to align that product with individual client needs,” underscores Tim Bevan, CEO and Global Head of Prime at BCS Global Markets. As the fund grows, it becomes more important to have a reliable and trusted prime broker that can support them throughout all stages. At BCS Global Markets, we look at the longer term picture by not imposing hurdles through fees for clients. “Being able to adapt quickly to changing environments meant we maintained our second-to-none level of client service and direct trading support. While we pride
ourselves on our technology-led solutions and being a fintech Prime Broker, we whole-heartedly believe in the value of strong working relationships and the importance of fully understanding clients’ needs and adapting accordingly,” says Bevan. Additionally, BCS Global Markets is one of a few boutique primes which can offer full Cap Intro services. The firm has focused on building relationships with allocators that seed or specialise in smaller funds. Product flexibility is a critical aspect of BCS Global Markets’ offer. “This was one of the key concepts in the building of our business,” Bevan comments, “We believe that building a business on a platform that retains flexibility is absolutely fundamental to sustainable success in the prime space.” Further success in this arena relies on a firm’s agility and ability to roll out new products efficiently. BCS Global Markets’ has the framework to do so. In the first quarter of 2021, the BCS Global Markets professionals have seen fund managers performing well, those include Quant, Market Neutral and Long/Short strategies. They believe these funds are tipped for large inflows once travel restrictions are lifted. “Lastly and more than anything, we just want to get out there and meet people” outlines Bevan. n Tim Bevan CEO & Global Head of Prime, BCS Global Markets
EUROPEAN SERVICE PROVIDER INSIGHTS 2021 | Apr 2021
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