Industry Updates

Survey finds Chinese and Eurozone centres languish whilst offshore centres recover

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

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Opalesque Industry Update - The Z/Yen Group published the eleventh Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 11) covering 77 financial centres. The big changes from GFCI 10 in September 2011 are:

The past trend of large rises in the ratings of Asia/Pacific centres has paused. Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei and Shenzhen all decline in GFCI 11. Centres on the mainland of China have seen significant declines with Shanghai down 37 points and Beijing down 11.

The capital cities of the weaker Euro economies continue to suffer. Dublin, Milan, Madrid, Lisbon and Athens were all down in GFCI 10 and this decline has continued in GFCI 11with these five centres all down in the rankings again.

In contrast to the centres in the weaker Eurozone economies, Frankfurt and Paris have both risen in the ranks. This may be as a result of the political lead that Germany and France have been showing in attempting to come to terms with the Eurozone crisis.

Offshore centres have suffered significant reputational damage recently. The main offshore centres are recovering lost ground. Jersey, Guernsey, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Mauritius have all made modest gains in the ratings.

Mark Yeandle, Associate Director of the Z/Yen Group and one of the authors of the GFCI, said: “Frankfurt and Paris are the exception within the Eurozone. Whilst centres like Madrid, Lisbon and Athens continue to struggle, the German and French capitals have climbed in the GFCI. I believe that this is due to the leading roles of their governments in trying to resolve the Euro crisis.”

GFCI 11 uses 26,853 financial centre assessments completed by 1,778 financial services professionals. Since 2007, well over 100,000 assessments from over 6,000 respondents have built the index. GFCI is updated regularly and ratings change as assessments and instrumental factors change.

The top five global financial centres are: London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.

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