Research by TNS SIFO Prospera, commissioned by Advent Software, suggests while most fund companies and distributors in the Nordic region expect growth over the full 2012 year, much of that growth will come from existing clients rather than new ones.

Some 70% of the 83 fund companies, distributors and institutional investors surveyed for the results, said they expected net inflows through the whole of 2012.
However, just 20% said they expected growth in external mandates.

The trend of relying on existing customers to drive growth in assets is seen as one that may persist for the next couple of years.

Meanwhile the overall strength of the Nordic markets means that many fund companies and distributors expect their best opportunities will remain in domestic markets, rather than elsewhere.

In terms of factors creating uncertainty, some 80% of respondents said they expect to be affected by upcoming regulation, with some 40% expecting an increase in staffing to deal with this challenge.

Increased regulation is also cited as one of the reasons why about half the respondents said they expect to spend more on IT systems in the next two years.

To read the full report click here: Nordic Fund Industry Outlook 2012