RIA Valuation Insights

A weekly update on issues important to the Investment Management industry

Current Events

S Corp RIAs Disadvantaged by the Tax Bill

New but Unimproved

We covered much of what we think the new tax bill will mean to RIA valuations in last week’s blogpost – and it’s mostly good news.  The “rest of the story” involves the bill’s impact on shareholder returns for RIAs structured as tax pass-thru entities (S corporations, LLCs, Partnerships), for which the news is not so buoyant.

Trust Companies

Trust Banks Underperform in 2017 Despite Rising Equity Markets & Yield Curve

All three publicly traded trust banks (BNY Mellon, State Street, and Northern Trust) underperformed other categories of asset managers during 2017, and only State Street outperformed the S&P 500.  While all three benefited from growth in Assets Under Custody and Administration (AUCA) and Assets Under Management (AUM) due to strong equity markets in 2017, the trust banks performed more in line with U.S. banks generally during 2017. 

Transactions

Industry Consolidation Drives Further Gains in RIA Dealmaking

With no end in sight for the consolidation pressures facing the industry, asset manager M&A appears positioned for continued strength or potential acceleration regardless of which way the markets move in 2018, although a protracted bear market, should it materialize, could highlight consolidation pressures and provide a catalyst for a larger wave of M&A activity.

Industry Trends

2017 Was Especially Kind to the RIA Community

Favorable market conditions over the last year have lifted RIA market caps to all-time highs yet again as AUM balances continue to climb with the major indices. Is the press wrong about some of the problems facing the industry or is there more to the story?

Investment Management

Mercer Capital provides RIAs, trust companies, and investment consultants with corporate valuation, litigation support, transaction advisory, and related services