BNP Paribas Securities Services has launched an administration service for alternative assets.
The service leverages its global administration platform to give institutional investors access to risk analytics and performance reporting and underlying risk and exposure assessment.
BNP Paribas head of product management Daryl Crich said demand for an alternatives administration service had developed in response to a need for greater transparency around funds' investments.
"We're seeing most tenders in the market now, from even medium-sized superannuation funds, are asking about administration capabilities in this space," he said.
The year-long development process also aligned with an increasing appetite for private equity, real estate and property among Australian super funds, he said.
He said that with the increased scrutiny by regulators of super funds' investments, a fund needed to prove it could manage risk, compliance and auditing requirements.
The long-dated nature of alternative investments and cash-weighted performance measures such as the IRI could not be managed on spreadsheets as a fund's alternative assets increased, according to Crich.
Media Super, which served as the pilot for BNP Paribas' service, used the reporting and analytics to do away with spreadsheets, according to the fund's general manager of finance and compliance Michael Rooney.
BNP Paribas managing director for Australia and New Zealand Pierre Jond said the platform's ability to create reports by sector or geography could help clients manage an alternatives portfolio's risk exposure in relation to its broader portfolio.
He said better management of funding commitments and cashflows could assist in managing liquidity requirements.
The Future Fund’s CIO Ben Samild has announced his resignation, with his deputy to assume the role of interim CIO.
The fund has unveiled reforms to streamline death benefit payments, cut processing times, and reduce complexity.
A ratings firm has placed more prominence on governance in its fund ratings, highlighting that it’s not just about how much money a fund makes today, but whether the people running it are trustworthy, disciplined, and able to deliver for members in the future.
AMP has reached an agreement in principle to settle a landmark class action over fees charged to members of its superannuation funds, with $120 million earmarked for affected members.