Office of Financial Research (OFR) Delivers Report on Asset Management Industry

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Financial Research (OFR) has delivered a report to the Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council) on ways that activities in the asset management industry might create, amplify, or transmit stress through the financial system.

The report, Asset Management and Financial Stability, identifies industry activities that could pose risks to the financial stability of the United States. The OFR studied the activities of asset management firms and funds at the request of the Council, in connection with the Council’s review of nonbank financial companies.

“We are pleased to deliver this report to the Council, in support of its efforts to identify and address threats to financial stability,” said OFR Director Richard Berner. “The report is an example of how the OFR serves the needs of the Council and collaborates with its member agencies.”

The report notes that significant gaps in data about the asset management industry limit the ability to evaluate potential threats and their implications for financial stability. The OFR will continue working with the Council and its member agencies to further examine, prioritize, and fill these data gaps.

In developing the report, the OFR staff reviewed existing research, analyzed industry data, interviewed market participants, and consulted extensively with Council member agencies. A copy of the report is available here.