Helaba Financial Centre Study: Brexit Banks are packing their Bags

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Brexit is looming, and many banks are preparing to relocate their business activities from London to other financial centres. Frankfurt is the favourite in this regard and the list of newcomers to the German banking centre is getting longer and longer. “Brexit banks are gradually packing their bags and many of them will be heading for the Rhine-Main region in the future. To date, 25 Brexit banks have opted for the financial centre of Frankfurt, including many well-known institutions. Paris comes some way behind, followed by Luxembourg, Dublin and Amsterdam. This is the result of our current Brexit Map,” explained Dr. Gertrud Traud, Chief Economist and Head of Research at the presentation of the study in Frankfurt.

Some large corporations have designated Frankfurt as their most important EU hub in the future and, in so doing, have made a fundamental strategic decision in favour of the city, which will also be reflected in corresponding staffing levels. On the one hand, some jobs will be transferred to Frankfurt, which will be accompanied by the employees concerned either moving completely or commuting between the two financial centres. On the other hand, a certain number of new employees will be hired here or Germans who have worked with banks abroad will be recruited for the new jobs in Frankfurt. Since the beginning of the year, more and more Brexit banks have been making firm plans to relocate their activities. Additional institutions are still in talks with the local supervisory authorities. All in all, an accumulation of Brexit banks can be observed in Frankfurt that is unparalleled in Europe.

“In principle, our ranking of Europe’s major financial centres continues to apply: London before Frankfurt before Paris”, explains Helaba’s financial centre expert, Ulrike Bischoff. The only aspect that has meanwhile narrowed is the gap between the relative attractiveness of these locations. Frankfurt has been able to improve its competitive position to a greater extent than Paris.

In view of the sometimes very assertive marketing campaigns of other locations, it is vital that the German financial centre presents itself in a self-confident, concerted manner. Since the referendum, for example, the Hessian state government has accompanied the Brexit process with a variety of activities. There is also a network made up of the various players in the region. In addition, Frankfurt is increasingly receiving verbal backing from the federal government. Now, in view of the short time remaining until Brexit, it is important, for instance, to rapidly implement the planned easing of rules on protection against dismissal for top bankers.

The Frankfurt office market is in good shape shortly before the conclusion of the Brexit negotiations. Vacancy rates have fallen significantly, and rents are approaching their previous highs, although they are still well below the level of competing financial centres. Additional demand by Brexit newcomers and an increase in jobs in other sectors should not lead to bottlenecks thanks to a range of project developments. In contrast, the situation on the housing market remains under pressure despite higher construction activity. The shortage of housing can therefore only be overcome in the long term in collaboration with the surrounding area.

Frankfurt’s Brexit banks come from ten counties; most already have a branch office in Frankfurt or are represented via subsidiaries. In addition, many banks would like to establish a presence in Frankfurt for the first time. Together, Brexit banks of foreign origin in Frankfurt had an estimated 2,500 employees here at the end of 2017. In the scope of their Brexit-related adjustments, they are expected to almost double this number by the end of 2020.

Dr. Traud points out that Helaba has adhered to its Brexit forecast ever since the referendum: “At least 8,000 financial sector jobs will be created over the next few years”. Until the end of 2020, the Brexit effect should have a clearly positive impact on Frankfurt’s banking employment and, ultimately, more than offset on-going consolidation processes in the German banking industry. This suggests a total of 65,000 bank employees in Frankfurt, representing growth of around 3 % or an increase of almost 1,800 bankers.

You can find the complete study as a download here [in German].

Brexit

Deutsches Aktieninstitut – Brexit: it is five to twelve!

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Deutsches Aktieninstitut calls upon the European and British negotiating parties to finally place their trade relations on a new sustainable basis. In its third position paper on the Brexit negotiations Deutsches Aktieninstitut shows using as examples tariffs and product approval as well as derivatives and data protection that companies cannot solve all the problems arising due to Brexit on their own.

The position paper can be downloaded here.

Brexit

The risk of a hard Brexit puts businesses in a tight spot – stormy autumn is approaching

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Companies on both sides of the channel are hoping for clarity on the impact of Brexit on their businesses by the EU summit in October, and no later than the possible EU special summit in November. To what extent the autumn will bring a transition agreement setting the status quo until the end of December 2020, remains unclear. Although this transitional period is foreseen in principle, it is highly dependent on conditions that remain unfulfilled which pose considerable obstacles. This is especially true for the Irish border issue.

Whether there will soon be clarity is still uncertain. From September onwards, the management of Frankfurt Main Finance expects a stormy autumn. Banks will have to make important decisions about their set-up over the next few weeks, as the time to prepare for Brexit at the end of March 2019 will otherwise be too tight. Just a few months before the UK’s exit from the European Union, the risk of a relatively hard Brexit has not been averted. This brings trade, industry and financial services alike under time pressure and pressure to move.

In the coming weeks, financial institutions expect not only increased inquiries from their customers, but also to decide for themselves which of the scenarios they are preparing for. “Time is running out,” says Hubertus Väth, Managing Director of Frankfurt Main Finance. “We’re expecting a stormy autumn: industrial and trade companies, as well as the asset management industry, must now seek to make the necessary arrangements with their financial services providers. It is important to Brexit-proof their financing and investments. That does not work at the touch of a button. We’re heading for a mass start which will lead to a bottleneck for those late to the line.”

Therefore, Frankfurt Main Finance advises companies from trade and industry as well as asset managers to actively pursue dialogue with their financial services providers to Brexit-proof their financing. This applies in particular to the clearing for euro-denominated interest rate derivatives. “Companies must take initiative themselves and approach the banks,” says Väth. “It is in their own interest, for example, to hedge their financing and hedge their interest rate risks even for a hard Brexit. Unfortunately, this case can still not be ruled out. The sooner they talk to their banks, the better the preparation will be, because companies will be the main victims in any case of doubt.”

Frankfurt Main Finance sees the Financial Centre Frankfurt as the logical first choice in the reorganization and orientation of the financial sector after Brexit. However, to make use of these opportunities under increasingly intense international competition requires further substantial effort.

Green and Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany releases baseline report

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Mobilising the finance sector for climate protection and sustainable investment

On Friday, in Frankfurt, the Green and Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany issued its baseline report presenting an inventory of sustainability activities at the financial centre of Frankfurt/Main. The report is the first publication from this cluster, created in spring 2018 in a merger between the Green Finance Cluster Frankfurt of the Hessian Ministry of Economics and the Accelerating Sustainable Finance Initiative of Deutsche Börse. The cluster’s objective is to further mobilise the finance sector for climate protection and sustainable investment.

One encouraging result is that sustainability is now a hot topic in the boards of financial institutions, resulting in more and more innovative products and services, notes Hessian Minister for Economics Tarek Al-Wazir. “Now it’s about coordinating these activities to make Frankfurt a leader in this area that can articulate the German voice in international discussions.”

The report analyses the current state of sustainable activities in Frankfurt and other European financial centres. The baseline report draws from extensive field research. The results show that 86 per cent of respondents discuss sustainability topics at management board level. 100 per cent of participating companies report on their sustainability activities. The increasing importance of this topic is also evident in current figures from a survey by the Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen (Sustainable Investment Forum), which found that sustainable investment in Germany was already at €1.4 trillion in 2017. Since 2005, annual growth has hovered at 27 per cent.

Al-Wazir made reference to European Commission estimates that €180 billion per year in additional investments are needed to meet Europe’s 2030 climate targets.

“The required sustainability investments are far too great for the public sector to bear alone. This means we must mobilise large volumes of private capital. For investors, this is about creating high demand. Practically every financial centre in the world now recognises the importance of green and sustainable finance. Frankfurt must play a leading role in this, concludes Karsten Löffler, Co-Head of the Frankfurt School/UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance, and one of the two cluster directors.

Analysis of the baseline report finds that sustainable finance should become a much more prominent topic in the finance sector, not only for reputation, but also for its strategic business potential. It is becoming increasingly vital to identify risks to investments and financing arising from factors such as climate change. On the other hand, this also offers a variety of new business opportunities, stemming directly from the financing of sustainable infrastructure needs. In light of the high financing volume required for the transformation to a more sustainable economic system, financial institutions are increasingly compelled to take a forward-looking tack and develop corresponding strategies.

Aside from many encouraging trends, the baseline report still finds insufficient data on sustainable investments, due to factors such as a lack of standards and definitions, explains Kristina Jeromin, Head of Group Sustainability at Deutsche Börse and second cluster director.

“This is a key issue,” agrees Al-Wazir. “Uncertainty is poison to investment. Investors must have confidence that they are not getting scammed.”

The cluster wants to take on this and other challenges in four defined areas of activity:

  • Inventory and innovation: e.g. taking stock of activities thus far, identifying potential for development
  • Metrics and standards: e.g. developing definitions and measurement methods for sustainable investment
  • Data and digitalisation: e.g. expansion of the traditional key business figures to include environmental and social indicators
  • Dialogue and knowledge building: e.g. employee training, creation of permanent platforms for dialogue

The cluster is an association. The current sponsors are BNP Paribas Germany, Commerzbank AG, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale, Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Börse AG, DZ BANK AG, Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank, Helaba, KfW Bankengruppe and Metzler Asset Management GmbH. The cluster is headquartered at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. The signatories to the Frankfurt Declaration also support the cluster.

For the full baseline report and further details on the Green and Sustainable Finance Cluster Germany, please visit the new website at http://www.gsfc-germany.com

 

CFS survey: German financial industry takes a critical view of ICOs, calls for stronger regulation

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ICOs (initial coin offerings) are especially popular with start-up companies as a means of corporate financing by issuing cryptocurrencies, also known as tokens. These may be acquired in exchange for fiat currencies or virtual currencies such as Bitcoin and Ether. In contrast to IPOs, tokens issued in ICOs are not subject to strict capital market regulations, even though they serve the purpose of corporate financing. The German financial regulator BaFin is currently biding its time before taking a clear stance on cryptocurrencies and ICOs, although it does rate ICOs as highly speculative financial assets.

In light of the enormous risks, the German financial industry is clearly in favour of stricter ICO regulation (70%) and would like BaFin to play a more active role in this sector (60%). This was revealed in a recent study by the Center for Financial Studies.

“We are seeing a veritable flood of ICOs on the market at the moment. This development is only in its initial stages in Germany, but soon we will also be hit with a wave of new tokens. The survey makes it clear that action is urgently required in the ICO sector. It is time for a clear regulatory framework with an appropriate mandate for the financial regulator,” Professor Volker Brühl, Managing Director of the Center for Financial Studies, interprets the survey results.

Mindful of the risks of fraud when ICOs are conducted on unregulated online exchanges, 50% of the survey respondents believe established exchanges should develop their own cryptocurrency trading platforms as a secure alternative.

“ICO platforms on reputable exchanges could help build trust among investors by establishing transparent and standardised processes, which could in turn benefit the issuing companies,” Brühl explains.

Just 12% of the respondents see opportunities for the Financial Centre Germany in this as yet largely unregulated sector.

As Hubertus Väth, Managing Director of Frankfurt Main Finance e.V., emphasises: “ICOs undoubtedly are an innovation baring remarkable potential for the financial industry. The industry’s request for stronger regulation is an understandable and welcomed approach to making use of the potential while managing the risks.”

 

The results are based on a quarterly management survey in the German financial sector.

The Center for Financial Studies (CFS) conducts independent and internationally-oriented research in important areas of Financial and Monetary Economics, ranging from Monetary Policy and Financial Stability, Household Finance and Retail Banking to Corporate Finance and Financial Markets. CFS is also a contributor to policy debates and policy analyses, building upon relevant findings in its research areas. In providing a platform for research and policy advice, CFS relies on its international network among academics, the financial industry and central banks in Europe and beyond.

CFS Index rises slightly

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  • Financial institutions report strong decline in earnings growth, despite continued positive revenue growth
  • Service provider investment volume reaches second-highest level since survey began in 2007

The CFS Index, which measures the business climate of the German financial sector on a quarterly basis, rises by 1.8 points to a strong level of 118.5 points in the second quarter of 2018. The slight increase can be attributed to an all-round positive development in revenues, earnings, investment and employee numbers among the service providers. The financial institutions, on the other hand, report a clear decline in earnings growth, despite continued positive revenue growth. A further decline is expected in the current quarter, and this also applies to revenue growth. In addition, the financial institutions scaled back jobs temporarily in the second quarter. However, they are more optimistic in this regard for the current quarter. The investment volume of the financial industry remains stable at a high level.

“In the banking sector the increased competitive pressure, especially with regard to innovation, is evident from the survey results: earnings are on the decline, while investments have increased and many new employees have been hired,” Professor Jan Pieter Krahnen, Director of the Center for Financial Studies, interprets the results.

The future international importance of the Financial Centre Germany continues to be rated very positively

With a slight decrease of 0.5 points to 131.3 points, the business location sub-index, which measures the future international importance of the Financial Centre Germany, remains almost unchanged at a very high level, which has been maintained since the Brexit vote in 2016.

“The importance of the Financial Centre Frankfurt will continue to grow – a progress the financial industry has no doubt about as is shown by the indicator. The degree to which Frankfurt’s importance will grow depends on how those responsible will make use of the opportunities arising for the Financial Centre,” comments Hubertus Väth, Managing Director of Frankfurt Main Finance e.V. on the survey’s results.

Financial industry revenues at a high level / Earnings growth declines slightly among financial institutions but remains positive among service providers

Revenue growth among the surveyed financial institutions remains almost unchanged, edging up 0.2 points to a strong level of 118.8 points, which represents a year-on-year increase of 12.4 points. The corresponding sub-index for the service providers sees a significant rise of 7.6 points to 128.9 points, which is 4.4 points higher than one year ago. A further increase is anticipated. The financial institutions, by contrast, are expecting a fairly considerable decline in revenue growth in the current quarter.

The earnings growth of the two groups reveals contrasting trends. The financial institutions record a 9.3 point decrease to 101.8 points, which is the lowest level of this sub-index for two years. They are expecting a similarly substantial decline in the current quarter. The service providers, on the other hand, record a 5.4 point increase to 127.6 points, reaching the second-highest level since 2007. They remain optimistic regarding the current quarter.

Service provider investment volume reaches second-highest level since survey began in 2007

The growth in investment volume in product and process innovations among the service providers rises by 9.8 points to 122.4 points, reaching its second-highest level since the survey began in 2007. However, it is expected to decrease again in the current quarter. The corresponding sub-index for the financial institutions also reveals a slight increase of 1.3 points to 116.1 points. This group expects the positive trend to continue in the current quarter.

New brief period of job cuts at financial institutions

Following the prolonged period of job cuts in recent quarters, the financial institutions reported that their employee numbers rose again for the first time in the first quarter of 2018. This trend is now temporarily interrupted, as the employee numbers sub-index falls by 6.2 points to 96.4 points. However, the financial institutions are more optimistic regarding the current quarter. The trend among the service providers is positive; their level of recruitment is on the rise. The sub-index rises by 3.3 points to 126.3 points. Slightly lower growth in employee numbers is expected in the current quarter.

 

 

The results are based on a quarterly management survey in the German financial sector.

The Center for Financial Studies (CFS) conducts independent and internationally-oriented research in important areas of Financial and Monetary Economics, ranging from Monetary Policy and Financial Stability, Household Finance and Retail Banking to Corporate Finance and Financial Markets. CFS is also a contributor to policy debates and policy analyses, building upon relevant findings in its research areas. In providing a platform for research and policy advice, CFS relies on its international network among academics, the financial industry and central banks in Europe and beyond.

Sustainable Finance, Frankfurt

What is Sustainable Finance and why is it reaching the mainstream of financial markets?

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Increasing pressure on the environment, damages to ecosystems and environmental changes are presenting a global challenge. Integrating sustainability considerations into the financial system can play an important role in meeting the objectives agreed upon in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate agreement. Therefore, the inclusion of sustainability criteria in the financial sector are essential to address the future challenges – this also includes the establishment of financial market structures that create incentives for large-scale shifts in investments and a more future-friendly capital allocation.

As part of the growing awareness that a shift in the financial industry is needed, sustainable finance is increasingly gaining attention from global financial and political actors as well as the broad public. But what does it mean?

Sustainable Finance aims at integrating environmental, social or governance (ESG) criteria into financial services. Decisions about investments and capital expenditures should take those criteria into account, while being beneficial to both the investor and society at large. Moreover, the sustainability risks that may impact the stability of the financial system should be made transparent. However, the future-oriented investment strategies should be based on valid data as well as medium to long term risks and returns. While this previously was a niche investment strategy, the approach increasingly reaches the mainstream of international financial markets.

An important component of Sustainable Finance is Green Finance, which refers to raising capital and financial investments into companies, services, products and projects that accelerate the development of an environment friendly and climate-resilient economy – an undertaking to which technological innovation and digital finance are essential to. By using big data, artificial intelligence and the internet of things Green FinTechs present innovative and efficient opportunities to further the greening of the financial system while mainstreaming the green finance approach by making sustainable financial services more accessible.

No signs of slowing – strong first half year for Frankfurt Office Market

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Following 2017’s record results, the office market in the Financial Centre Frankfurt continues to boom with take-up in the first half of 2018 reaching third highest level of the past ten years and the best first quarter since 2000. According to experts at BNP Paribas Real Estate, CBRE, Savills Investment Management and Jones Lang LaSalle, the high level of activity in Frankfurt is leading towards the lowest vacancy rate in 15 years which will continue to fall in the latter half of 2018.

As a result of Brexit, 25 financial services firms have declared intentions to expand or move operations to the Financial Centre Frankfurt. Frankfurt Main Finance expects about 2,000 Brexit related positions will be relocated to Frankfurt by the end of 2018 and still holds its estimate of up to 10,000 potential positions in the medium-term, which have yet to impact demand on the real estate market to their full-extent.

Financial services firms affected by Brexit can still expect to find ample, modern office space in the city centre. Frankfurt remains affordable in international comparison, despite the waning vacancy rate now at 8.3% and Prime Rents increasing to 43 EUR/m2/month, according to data published by BNP Paribas Real Estate. In fact, the Financial Centre Frankfurt is just a fraction of the price of London or Paris. In the second quarter, prime rents in London and Paris topped 118 and 71 EUR/m2/month, respectively. Both cities have a vacancy rate below 6%.

These developments are discussed in detail by the Managing Director and branch head of BNP Paribas Real Estate, José Martínez, and Carsten Ape, Managing Director of CBRE, Andreas Trumpp of Savills Investment Management and Markus Kullmann of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), as well as Managing Director of Frankfurt Main Finance, Hubertus Väth.

The deviations in the data concerning vacancy rate, take-up or prime rents between the participating real estate firms result from the varying collection methodoligies or populations. Frankfurt Main Finance does not weight or value the individual methods, but instead presents them transparently.

José Martínez, Managing Director of BNP Paribas Real Estate GmbH and Frankfurt Branch Manager

“The upward trend in the Frankfurt office market continues. With a take-up of 273,000 m2 in the first half of 2018, the result is just under 14% above the ten-year average. Compared nationwide, take-up was higher only in Munich and Berlin.

In no other city are the results distributed so evenly across the various industry groups as in Frankfurt. First place is taken by banks/financial services with a share of 14.5%. Second place is taken by co-working providers, which contribute just over 12 % and are gaining increasingly in importance as a demand group in Frankfurt as well. The top three is completed by the group media and advertising, which is responsible for 12%. Places four to six are filled by three industry groups, which each have a share in take-up of just under 11%. These are public administration, ICT firms and consultancies. This even distribution of the result underlines impressively the very broad demand base and lively market activity. Among the most important deals were the leases of 24,000 m² by the FAZ newspaper in Europaviertel, 8,300 m² by the German Finance Agency in Heddernheim/Mertonviertel and 8,000 m² by the Bethmann Bank in the Banking District.

The reduction in the amount of vacant space has continued and currently stands at 1.28 million m². This is the lowest volume in the last 15 years. Of the total vacancy, however, just under 48% (611,000 m²) has the modern quality preferred by occupiers. The vacancy rate in the overall market has fallen to 8.3%. The biggest problem remains the shortage of space in the central, highly-sought-after locations. Due to the strong demand and inadequate supply of high-quality space, construction activity has increased. A total of 592,000 m² is under construction, but only about half of it is available to the market; the rest is already pre-let. It also needs to be taken into account that most of the supply is only concentrated on a few projects, which in some cases will not be available until 2023. As a result of the relationship between supply and demand outlined above, the top rent has increased compared to the previous year by 12% to 43 €/m². A similar dynamic upward trend has also been recorded for average rents, which have risen by just over 8% to currently 18.30 €/m².

The strong demand situation and the supportive economic environment for the occupier markets will stimulate take-up in the second half-year. This will be even more the case, because the share of major deals should increase. Against this background, an above-average take-up is again expected for the year as a whole, which should exceed the 600,000-m² mark. As the reduction in the amount of vacant space will continue, albeit at a slower rate, a further increase in rents is expected.”

Carsten Ape, Managing Director, CBRE

“Thanks to the strong economy, Frankfurt is in a dynamic state. We are observing an unwaveringly high demand in the office market. With an office space take-up of 253,700 m2 the first half of the year was 13 % above the strong previous years. That strong momentum at the beginning of the year persists throughout the first half of the year.

While the first quarter of the year was dominated by single large-scale projects such as the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung leasing around 24,000 m², the current growth in Frankfurt can mainly be attributed to the traditionally strong financial sector: in addition to banks, consulting firms and law firms, companies from the real estate industry are looking for space.

Moreover, the focus increasingly lies on small-scale objects of up to 1,500 m² – a segment which made up 53% of the 106,800 m2 take-up of the second quarters. Co-working is contributing to that upsurge: within just a few years take-up increased from 1,100 m² in 2015 to 24,800 m² in the first half of this year. Especially start-ups are causing a demand in shared offices – an innovative segment giving the Frankfurt office market an opportunity to grow and ensuring its flexibility.

The high demand, the repurposing and demolition of existing office space as well as a rather modest number of completed real estate projects, caused the vacancy rate to drop to 8.5%. However, construction activity remains to be high. The pipeline is well filled. By the end of 2018, 114,000 m² of office space is to be completed in Frankfurt, of which only about 16% is still available. While the number of available office space is becoming increasingly limited, there is still room on the market.

It is likely that Brexit will have an impact in the medium term. Currently, the political developments in Great Britain are unpredictable and thus, many market participants are awaiting the outcome of the negotiations. However, it can be predicted that Frankfurt will be one of the Brexit winners.

The strong momentum of the Frankfurt office market is likely to continue throughout the second half of the year. The persistently high demand and shortage in office space located at the city centre could lead to an increase in prime rents. Nonetheless, national and international investors are interested in attractive investment opportunities in the Rhine-Main area. Frankfurt continues to be a focal point.”

Andreas Trumpp MRICS, Head of Research Deutschland, Savills Investment Management

“The outcome of the negotiation process for Great Britain’s departure from the European Union will determine the future of other Financial Centres such as Frankfurt. In 2017, the Frankfurt Office Market was marked by record results, even without Brexit-related relocations. An upward trend that persists in the first half of this year. The dynamic of Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main-Region is beneficial to real estate investors, which is amongst the reasons of why Frankfurt moved up 4 places to the 17th most dynamic city in Europe in the recently published Savills IM Dynamic Cities Index. The Main metropolis benefits from its excellent international train and airport infrastructure, above average public transport system and digital network on the local, national and international level. Real estate investors will find investment opportunities in every size category, real estate segment and risk profile. The Financial Centre Frankfurt offers unique investment opportunities that other German cities can hardly provide.”

Markus Kullmann, Team Leader Office Leasing Frankfurt am Main, JLL

“The Frankfurt Office Market reached a strong sales momentum midyear. With a take-up of 260,000 m² a comparison to the previous year (+ 9%), and both the 5- and 10-year average (+ 28% bzw. + 14%.) highlights the outstanding performance. Frankfurt has reached its third-best half-year take-up volume in the past ten years. While large scale rentals of over 10,000 m², such as the rental by the FAZ in the first quarter, do not occur every quarter, we are highly confident that the second half of the year will yield some top lettings – at prime rates. Companies seeking to hire or keep high-calibre personnel are willing to pay prime rents for excellent properties in top locations. Since the dynamic of demand continues to be high, I am confident that take-up will reach 575,000 m² in 2018.

An issue with which actors will be confronted on Frankfurt’s real estate market: vacancy does not necessarily mean vacancy. Available space does not meet the requirements in location, amenities, leasing period and rent. Meanwhile, the vacancy rate is at 7.3 %, with tendency to decrease to 6.8% by the end of the year. As quick reminder: The highest quote was at 17.9 % in 2006. From 2011 (15%) onwards, it gradually declined.

The urgently needed vacant office space did not become available on the market in the second quarter. This is unlikely to have changed by the end of the year. The supply in completed office space of around about 10,000 m² that will become available on the market in the next months is rather modest. I expect a notable relief to hit the market in 2020. By then, 485,000 m² could be constructed.”

Hubertus Väth, Geschäftsführer, Frankfurt Main Finance e.V.

“The high level of leasing activity in Frankfurt and the sinking vacancy rate show that the real estate market in the Financial Centre is booming. The extraordinary quality of life, excellent infrastructure, high concentration of innovative companies and the strong global commercial network make Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main Region one of the most popular destinations international firms. Frankfurt is able and ready to accommodate the numerous financial services firms relocating to Frankfurt from London due to Brexit.”

Frankfurt Finance Summit 2018 – Ready, Steady, Go!

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On May 29, 2018, well-renowned international and national experts from the financial industry and decision makers gathered at the 8th Frankfurt Finance Summit titled Ready, Steady, Go! Who is ready to set the pace in challenging times? to debate the challenges and the strategic responses to current issues facing the European economy, regulators and financial markets. The decision-makers from central banks, stock exchanges, supervisory authorities, banks, insurance companies, politics, business and academia further discussed the future location and supervision of euro-denominated clearing transactions by central counterparties after Brexit and the advancement of artificial intelligence and the potential implications for financial institutions.

Dr. Lutz Raettig, President of Frankfurt Main Finance, opened the Frankfurt Finance Summit by welcoming the attendees and speakers, ranging from several countries and continents and a broad range of backgrounds in the financial services industry. Dr. Thomas Schäfer, Member of the Hessian Parliament and Hessian Minister of Finance, followed with a welcome address in which he discussed recent legislative proposals by the European Commission concerning EU financial markets, stating that he finds a EU single market to not be necessary. In his opening keynote Dr. Jörg Kukies, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance discussed the transitional period of Brexit as well as the consequences for EU27 and the Financial Centre Frankfurt. Kukies proudly stated, “If we look at Frankfurt, we see a city in a very good starting position. Frankfurt is one of the continent’s leading financial hubs and plays in the league of the world’s leading financial centres.” Kukies further enumerated a lengthy list of the Financial Centre Frankfurt’s advantages, including its deep talent pool, academic network, and outstanding quality of life. Thereafter, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, former President of the Eurogroup and former Minister of Finance of the Netherlands delivered the European keynote in which he gave an outlook on the potential consequences of Brexit and a political and legal way forward, saying that “For Frankfurt, it’s a good outlook. When I go to the UK, bankers will tell me – they won’t say this publicly of course – that the amount of business and the amount of people they’re going to shift, is larger than what is publicly being talked about and Frankfurt is at the top of the list.”

The impact of Brexit on British financial institutions

The Summit’s first panel addressed tomorrow’s strategic responses to the major questions in the financial industry. Chaired by Prof. Dr. Uwe Stegemann Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company, the panel featured Katharine Braddick, Director General of Financial Services at HM Treasury, Bernd Geilen, Vice-Chairman and Chief Risk Officer at ING-DiBa, Thomas Grosse, Industry Leader Banking and FinTech at Google Germany, Felix Hufeld, President of the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and Dr. Cornelius Riese, Chief Financial Officer at DZ Bank AG. As part of the debate, Kathrine Braddick discussed the impact of Brexit on the financial services industry in London, saying that Brexit is not a concern for most domestic firms, as they are primarily concerned with UK markets. When discussing the relocation of financial institutions from London to Frankfurt Braddick stated, “I think that first phase of moves is relatively confined. Most firms affected I think they are expecting there will be a second phase and depending on the relationship that we achieve with the European Union and of course our aspiration is a very close relationship on financial services that will determine the scale of that second phase and to me that is currently unknown.” The panel further addressed the challenges of digitalisation from an implementation and regulatory standpoint. This discussion naturally progressed to encompass the demands of recent data protection regulations, like GDPR and PSD2.

  • Dr. Lutz Raetting (President, Frankfurt Main Finance) and Andreas Scholz (Managing Director, dfv Euro Finance Group)

  • Dr. Lutz Raettig (President, Frankfurt Main Finance)

  • Dr. Thomas Schäfer (Hessian Minister of Finance)

  • Dr. Jörg Kukies (State Secretary, German Federal Ministry of Finance)

  • Jeroen Dijsselbloem (former President of the Eurogroup and former Minister of Finance of the Netherlands)

  • Jeroen Dijsselbloem (former President of the Eurogroup and former Minister of Finance of the Netherlands)

  • Jeroen Dijsselbloem (former President of the Eurogroup and former Minister of Finance of the Netherlands) and Hubertus Väth (Managing Director, Frankfurt Main Finance)

  • Katharine Braddick, Prof. Dr. Uwe Stegemann (Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company), Bernd Geilen, Thomas Grosse (Industry Leader Banking and FinTech at Google Germany), Felix Hufeld (President of the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin)), and Dr. Cornelius Riese (Chief Financial Officer at DZ BANK)

  • Katharine Braddick (Director General of Financial Services at Her Majesty’s Treasury)

  • Katharine Braddick (Director General of Financial Services at Her Majesty’s Treasury)

  • Bernd Geilen (Vice-Chairman and Chief Risk Officer, ING-DiBa)

  • Yves Mersch (Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank)

  • Annette Weisbach (Germany/ECB Correspondent, CNBC International), Christoph Hock (Head Multi-Asset Trading, Union Investment Privatefonds), Karin Dohm (Global Head of Government & Regulatory Affairs and Group Structuring, Deutsche Bank AG), Fabrizio Planta (Head of Markets Department, European Securities and Markets Authority), Erik Tim Müller (Chief Executive Officer, Eurex Clearing AG)

  • Erik Tim Müller (Chief Executive Officer, Eurex Clearing AG)

  • Annette Weisbach (Germany/ECB Correspondent, CNBC International)

  • Ram Shoham (Founder, Accelerator Frankfurt GmbH)

  • Sven Hoffman (Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, dfv Euro Finance Group), Markus Frank (Deputy Mayor, Head of Department of Economy, Sports, Public Safety and Fire Prevention, Frankfurt am Main), Andreas Scholz (Managing Director, dfv Euro Finance Group)

  • Markus Frank (Deputy Mayor, Head of Department of Economy, Sports, Public Safety and Fire Prevention, Frankfurt am Main)

  • Sylvie Matherat (Chief Regulatory Officer, Deutsche Bank AG)

  • Inken Schönauer (Editor-in-Chief, EURO FINANCE magazin), Charles Delingpole (CEO & Founder, Comply Advantage), Carsten Mürl (Head Enterprise Security Solutions Germany, Mastercard), Markus Nigg (CEO, ti&m AG), JP Rangaswami (Group Chief Data Officer & Group Head of Innovation, Deutsche Bank AG), Francisco Webber (CEO & Co-Founder, Cortical.io), Peter J. Wirnsperger (Partner Cyber Risk Services, Deloitte), Kim Körber (Founder & Managing Director, BETTER ONE GmbH)

  • Carsten Mürl (Head Enterprise Security Solutions Germany, Mastercard)

  • Peter J. Wirnsperger (Partner Cyber Risk Services, Deloitte)

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The consequences of Brexit for Euro clearing

The Summit continued with a discussion on the future of Euro Clearing after Brexit, beginning with a keynote from Yves Mersch, Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, in which he discussed the potential adaption of legal frameworks regulating Central Counterparties (CCPs) who are located outside of the European Union, stating that  “Ultimately, amending both the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) and Article 22 will establish a comprehensive legal framework to address the risks CCPs pose to the Union – both its financial markets and its currency. It will ensure that the EU’s legislators, supervisors and central bank – acting in their respective roles – can adopt the wide range of measures needed to safeguard stability.”

The following panel, moderated by Annette Weisbach, further explored the future supervision of the clearing of euro denominated derivates by CCPs with financial industry experts such as Karin Dohm, Managing Director and Global Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs and Group Structuring at Deutsche Bank, Christoph Hock, Head of Multi-Asset Trading at Union Investment Privatefonds, Erik Tim Müller, Chief Executive Officer at Eurex Clearing AG, Patrick Pearson, Head of Financial Markets Infrastructure and Director General of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union at the European Commission and Fabrizio Planta, Head of Markets Department at the European Securities and Markets Authority. Diving right into the topic, Eurex’s Erik Tim Müller explained, “Our objective is to talk to the clients and find out what their needs are and the needs that we hear is that today obviously all eggs are essentially all in one basket in London and that seems like a very risky set up given the circumstance. So, what we came up with at Deutsche Börse is a market lead alternative for these market participants to build up a second liquidity pool. […] We came from less than one percent market share 12 months ago to over six percent market share now and rising.”

Giving insights into what is important to asset managers, Union Investment’s Christoph Hock, , highlighted the importance of competition in order to lower transaction costs for the benefit of investors. “You’ve had monopoly structures, take LCH, they’ve had something like […] 95% of interest rate derivatives cleared on LCH and obviously monopoly structures are not beneficial for lowering cost of trading and also when we are looking at innovations, that is completely left aside. […] That’s why we highly appreciate the partnership program Deutsch Börse Eurex offered to the market which caused prices to come down, big offer spreads to tighten. Our assessment is that with this new offering we are able to lower also our cost of trading and in this context our cost of clearing. […] Would we prefer to have a strong second clearing hub here on the continent, i.e. with Eurex? The clear answer is yes,” said Hock.

Artificial Intelligence in the financial industry: a new frontier

The third panel on artificial intelligence in the financial industry began with an impulse speech by Carsten Murl, Head Enterprise Security Solutions Germany at Mastercard, in which he explained how Mastercard is very successfully using artificial intelligence for smart fraud protection throughout their entire stream of transactions addressing various needs. Thereafter, the panel featuring Charles Delingpole, CEO and Founder of ComplyAdvantage, Markus Nigg, COO of ti&m AG, JP Rangaswami, Group Chief Data Officer & Group Head of Innovation at Deutsche Bank AG, Francisco Webber, CEO and Co-Founder of Cortical.io, and Peter J. Wirnsperger, Partner Cyber Risk Services at Deloitte discussed various aspects of data protection and whether artificial intelligence can be understood as the problem or the solution to data security in the financial service industry. During the debate, Deutsche Bank’s JP Rangaswami explored the definition of data safety and the responsibility it brings to companies processing data while highlighting the importance of people feeling secure and empowered by the ability to consent to the usage of private data. Moreover, Deloitte’s Peter J. Wirnspergeremphasised the consequences of data misuse and thus, the importance data protection has, which is something that should be of concern not only to the economy and but society as a whole.

The eighth Frankfurt Finance summit came to an end with closing remarks by Professor Dr. rer. pol. Dr. h.c. Udo Steffens, Chairman of the Executive Board at the Frankfurt Institute for Risk Management and Regulation (FIRM).

Frankfurt Main Finance and the Frankfurt Institute for Risk Management and Regulation would like to thank this year’s sponsors for their generous support. Deutsche Bank was this year’s Gold Partner. Silver Partners included Deloitte, Deutsche Börse Group, DZ Bank, ING-Diba, Mastercard, and Wirtschaftsförderung Frankfurt.

Livestream of Frankfurt Finance Summit

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The 8th Frankfurt Finance Summit titled “Ready, Steady, Go! Who is ready to set the pace in challenging times?” is taking place on 29 May 2018 at Kap Europa. Well-renowned international and national experts and decision-makers are meeting to discuss current issues faced by the European economy, regulators and financial markets.

This year’s summit evolves around the strategic responses to challenges faced by the financial industry in times of change and uncertainty. Moreover, the future location and supervision of euro-denominated clearing transactions by central counterparties after Brexit will be discussed by leading financial industry experts. Participants will also debate the advancement of artificial intelligence and the potential implications for banks and financial institutions.

You can watch the summit via livestream!