17 Liquidity Risk Management Recommendations from The New Zealand Financial Market Authority (FMA)
Liquidity risk in managed funds has been a prominent and increasing concern of regulators globally, particularly in the past two years, in the wake of some high-profile liquidity events. The New Zealand Financial Market Authority (FMA), following a familiar trend weโve seen recently from many regulators, has published a liquidity risk management report.
The report contains recommendations on liquidity risk management frameworks (with a focus on stress testing), processes, and procedures. The report follows the liquidity risk management good practice guide the FMA published last year, and also the survey the FMA issued last August asking Managed Investment Scheme managers (MIS managers) to self-assess their liquidity risk management capabilities.
Following the survey, the FMA found that MIS managers, in general, appear to have a positive view of their liquidity risk management capabilities, including stress testing. The FMA however, considered this positivity to be โoverly optimisticโ based on the responses to the survey.
The FMA have made the following recommendations within the report:
Recommendations
How we can help?
The issue of illiquid assets and open-ended funds has gained heightened prominence and regulator focus, most recently since 2019 after the suspension of the high profile LF Woodford Equity Income Fund and the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues such as this are likely to grow in prominence as mutual funds increasingly seek out and/or rely upon illiquid assets to generate greater returns in the prevailing and foreseeable low interest rate environment. For this reason, it is paramount that managers have in place tools in place to monitor their liquidity.
The Funds-Axis Liquidity Risk Management Solution can reduce this burden and increased workload, and assist firms with meeting these liquidity requirements in both times of market normality and stress.
Our solution has been designed to meet international requirements in respect of Liquidity Risk Management and Liquidity Stress Testing. It is a holistic module which embeds Liquidity Risk Management Monitoring into product governance, throughout the product lifecycle.