METHODOLOGY

Asiamoney’s sixth Global Custody Poll was faxed to 600 operations managers and settlement managers at asset management firms, insurance companies, central banks and finance directors at large corporates around the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan and Australia. A total of 100 replies were received. The geographic breakdown of our respondents is as follows: Hong Kong: 29 Australia: 8 Singapore: 19 Taiwan: 21 Japan: 14 Others: 9 The questionnaire asked participants to rank the global custodians they have used. Three points were awarded to the banks with a first-place ranking, two for a second place and one for a third-place vote. The replies were weighted according to the total assets under investment globally: 0.25=Less than $100 million 0.5=Between $100 million and $500 million 1=Between $500 million and $1 billion 2=Between $1 billion and $5 billion 4=Greater than $5 billion The service performance tables indicate what respondents think about the banks’ performance in particular services. Respondents are asked to rate the banks they voted for in three main areas: (A) Core custody Settlement, safekeeping, market coverage, speedy updates on market information, network management, corporate actions, fees, proxy voting, income collection, tax reclamation, client reporting, fund accounting, forex research/execution, business-continuity planning, system interface/ compatibility, cash management. (B) Client service and communication Account/relationship management, local/same time zone service, straight-through processing, customized solutions, experience/knowledge of personnel. (C) Value-added services Securities lending, compliance monitoring, funds administration, derivatives clearing, performance measurement, commission recapture, service delivery via the Internet, trade execution analysis, derivatives accounting. A four-point scale is used, where four is "very satisfied" and one is "dissatisfied".