Restricting the scope of UCITS funds may result in investors being pushed towards less regulated financial products, according to a top Paris-based asset management firm.
Amundi, which was formed by the Credit Agricole and Societe Generale financial groups, states in a submission to the European Securities and Markets Authority that it believes that UCITS are suitable for retail investors.
Amundi states: “Having a complex category would allow wealthy investors to invest in those products while preventing mass retail distribution.”
BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world, says in its submission: “A major unintended consequence of dividing UCITS into complex and non-complex categories could be that retail investors are directed away from UCITS products, which are highly regulated, to the competing lightly regulated suite of...