The total value of funds business in Guernsey grew by approximately £20 billion over the 12 months to the end of the third quarter of 2017, according to figures just released.
The Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) says that, at the end of September 2017, the net asset value of all funds under management and administration in Guernsey stood at £269 billion – an 8% increase on September 2016.
It confirms two consecutive years of growth, with the net asset value of funds growing by nearly £25 billion between Q3 2015 and Q3 2016.
The annual increase was largely thanks to the growth of Guernsey-domiciled closed-ended funds, which increased by £13.7 billion (8.98%) over the year. Guernsey open-ended funds remained stable at £43.9 billion.
Guernsey Finance Chief Executive Dominic Wheatley said: “This consistency in Guernsey’s funds sector highlights how stable and attractive we are as a place to domicile funds, especially in the face of political instability causing uncertainty globally over the last couple of years.”
“This is timely news ahead of our Guernsey Funds Masterclass in London in February, where our ‘Second age of discovery’ theme will focus on the non-EU distribution of funds and demonstrate how the island can provide answers with the United Kingdom weighing up its options due to Brexit-fuelled ambiguity. As an international finance centre, Guernsey is utilised by the UK as a gateway for investing into and raising capital from the rest of the world.”
Non-Guernsey schemes – funds not domiciled in the island but with some aspect of their management, administration or custody carried out there – grew by £7.8 billion (15.23%) since 30 September 2016 and so are valued at £59 billion.
Guernsey’s financial services regulator approved 10 new investment funds during Q3, comprising six closed-ended funds, one open-ended fund and three non-Guernsey schemes, contributing to a total of 982 funds currently approved for domiciling or servicing in Guernsey.
