UBS Retains Top Spot on Institutional Investor’s List of Europe’s Biggest Asset Management Firms For the tenth year in a row, UBS tops the Euro 100, Institutional Investor’s ranking of the biggest asset management firms in Europe. The Zurich-based firm retained its first-place position despite modest gains over the past year – in good company on a list of asset managers who collectively grew their assets by only 9.6 percent in 2006, compared with the steeper 21.5 increase enjoyed by the Euro 100 the year before.
Take a look at the Euro 100 ranking to see all of the region’s biggest firms ranked by total assets as of December 31, 2006. Then take a look at their asset breakdowns in each of four specific areas: Equities, Fixed-Income Securities, Cash and Equivalents and Miscellaneous. Clicking on a firm’s name will reveal subsidiary information and a summary of its holdings in each asset class.
How We Compiled the Euro 100 To compile this ranking, Institutional Investor surveyed banks, insurance companies, pension funds, independent fund managers and foreign money management firms with registered offices in Europe. European companies and companies headquartered in Europe (for example, HSBC Holdings) were asked to report global assets under management. Non-European companies were asked to report only European-derived assets (invested domestically or internationally) and non-European assets slated for investment in Europe. Senior Associate Editor Tucker Ewing gathered the data from questionnaires completed by the institutions themselves. This information was supported by annual reports, additional reporting and follow-up faxes and telephone calls.
The numbers are as comparable as possible, considering the different accounting practices in Europe. Assets are stated in euros. In some cases, assets at continental European institutions are higher than reported because their accounting rules require that they value assets at the lower of cost or market value. As a result of currency conversion and rounding, not all columns add up. All information is as of December 31, 2006, unless otherwise noted.