Financial centre

A financial centre is a global city that is home to a large number of internationally significant banks, businesses and stock exchanges.

An international financial centre is a non-specific term usually used to describe an important participant in international financial market trading. An international financial centre (sometimes abbreviated to IFC) will usually have at least one major stock market.

Contents

Global Financial Centres Index

The Global Financial Centres Index is compiled by the London-based British think-tank Z/Yen and is published annually by the City of London Corporation.[1] As of 2011, the top ten financial centres according to the Global Financial Centres Index in the world are:[2]

1. London
2. New York City
3. Hong Kong
4. Singapore
5. Shanghai
6. Tokyo
7. Chicago
8. Zurich
9. San Francisco
10. Toronto

International Financial Centers Development Index

In 2011, the American Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Dow Jones & Company partnering with China's Xinhua News Agency released the Xinhua-Dow Jones International Financial Centers Development Index. According to this index, the top ten financial centres in the world are:[3]

1. New York City
2. London
3. Tokyo
4. Hong Kong
5. Singapore
6. Shanghai
7. Paris
8. Frankfurt
9. Sydney
10. Amsterdam

World's most economically powerful cities

In 2008, Forbes ranked the top ten most economically influential and powerful cities in the world:[4]

  1. London
  2. Hong Kong
  3. New York City
  4. Tokyo
  5. Chicago
  6. Seoul
  7. Paris
  8. Los Angeles
  9. Shanghai
  10. Toronto

Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index

As of 2008, the top ten commercial centres according to the Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index in the world, by country are:[5]

  1. London
  2. New York City
  3. Tokyo
  4.  Singapore
  5. Chicago
  6.  Hong Kong
  7. Paris
  8. Frankfurt
  9. Seoul
  10. Amsterdam

The Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index is published by MasterCard Worldwide and is updated annually.

List of major financial centres by location

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Oceania

Comparisons

  1. a pool of money to lend or invest
  2. a decent legal framework
  3. high-quality human resources[14]

New York Times analyst Daniel Gross wrote:

In today’s burgeoning and increasingly integrated global financial markets — a vast, neural spaghetti of wires, Web sites and trading platforms — the N.Y.S.E. is clearly no longer the epicenter. Nor is New York. The largest mutual-fund complexes are in Valley Forge, Pa., Los Angeles and Boston, while trading and money management are spreading globally. Since the end of the cold war, vast pools of capital have been forming overseas, in the Swiss bank accounts of Russian oligarchs, in the Shanghai vaults of Chinese manufacturing magnates and in the coffers of funds controlled by governments in Singapore, Russia, Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia that may amount to some $2.5 trillion. -- Daniel Gross in 2007[13]

An example is the alternative trading platform known as BATS based in Kansas City which came "out of nowhere to gain a 9 percent share in the market for trading United States stocks."[13] The firm has computers in New Jersey, two salespersons in New York City, but the remaining 33 employees work in a centre in Missouri.[13]

Offshore financial centres

An offshore financial centre, although not precisely defined, is usually a small, low-tax jurisdiction specialising in providing the corporate and commercial services to non-residents in the form of offshore companies and the investment of offshore funds.

The term offshore financial centre is a relatively modern neologism, first coined in the 1980s.[26] Although the terms are not synonymous, many leading offshore finance centres are regarded as "tax havens", and the lack of precise definitions often leads to confusion between the concepts. In Tolley's International Initiatives Affecting Financial Havens[27] the author in the Glossary of Terms defines an "offshore financial centre" in forthright terms as "a politically correct term for what used to be called a tax haven." However, he then qualifies this by adding "The use of this term makes the important point that a jurisdiction may provide specific facilities for offshore financial centres without being in any general sense a tax haven."

In 2009 the International Financial Centres Forum (IFC Forum) was established by a group of professional service firms and businesses with offices in the leading offshore centres.[28] According to its website, the IFC Forum aims to provide authoritative and balanced information about the role of the small international financial centres in the global economy.

References

  1. ^ "AFP: Hong Kong joins NY, London uk as top finance centre". Agence France-Presse. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iR8Ob1A_eMrXjR_wKFcuyStwvu5g. 
  2. ^ "The Global Financial Centres Index 10". Z/Yen. http://zyen.com/PDF/GFCI%2010.pdf. Retrieved 2011-09-26. 
  3. ^ "Xinhua-Dow Jones International Financial Centers Development Index". Xinhua and Dow Jones. http://index.xinhua08.com/dqszs/bgxz/201107/P020110708322385591732.pdf. Retrieved 2011-07-08. 
  4. ^ ""World's Most Economically Powerful Cities".". Forbes.com. 2008-07-15. http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/15/economic-growth-gdp-biz-cx_jz_0715powercities.html. Retrieved 2011-02-26. 
  5. ^ "Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index 2008". Mastercard. http://www.mastercard.com/us/company/en/insights/pdfs/2008/MCWW_WCoC-Report_2008.pdf. 
  6. ^ "Hong Kong surpasses New York in IPOs". International Herald Tribune. 2006-12-25. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/25/business/borse.php. Retrieved 2008-02-01. 
  7. ^ Ed Feulner (2008-01-22). "Football and economic freedom". IndyStar. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080122/OPINION/801220318/-1/LOCAL17. Retrieved 2008-02-04. 
  8. ^ "Mumbai a global financial centre? Of course!". Rediff.com. http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/apr/27mumbai.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-26. 
  9. ^ "BSE - Key statistics". Bseindia.com. http://www.bseindia.com/about/st_key/list_cap_raised.asp. Retrieved 2011-02-26. 
  10. ^ "National Stock Exchange". Nasscom.in. 2006-07-12. http://www.nasscom.in/Nasscom/templates/NormalPage.aspx?id=28461. Retrieved 2010-08-26. 
  11. ^ The Global Financial Centres
  12. ^ Nisha Gopalan (November 29, 2010). "Stock Brokers Flock to Asia in Search of Growth". Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2010/11/29/stock-brokers-flock-to-asia-in-search-of-growth/. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Daniel Gross (October 14, 2007). "The Capital of Capital No More?". The New York Times: Magazine. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/magazine/14wallstreet-t.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  14. ^ a b c Daniel Altman (September 30, 2008). "Other financial centers could rise amid crisis". The New York Times: Business. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/business/worldbusiness/30iht-glob01.1.16579561.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  15. ^ Patrick McGeehan (February 22, 2009). "After Reversal of Fortunes, City Takes a New Look at Wall Street". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/nyregion/23wall.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  16. ^ Heidi N. Moore (March 10, 2008). "DLJ: Wall Street’s Incubator". The Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2008/03/10/the-little-bank-that-was-wall-streets-incubator/. Retrieved 2010-01-14. 
  17. ^ a b c d Heather Timmons (October 27, 2006). "New York Isn’t the World’s Undisputed Financial Capital". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/27/business/worldbusiness/27london.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  18. ^ a b c Beth Gardiner (January 20, 2010). "The London Banking Center Is Beginning to Feel Like Itself Again". The New York Times: Global Business. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/business/global/21rglofinuk.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  19. ^ Julia Werdigier (April 2, 2008). "Paychecks and Passports". The New York Times: Business. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/business/02EXPAT.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  20. ^ Seth Faison (December 13, 1996). "Hong Kong Continues to Eclipse An Economic Rebirth in Shanghai". The New York Times: Business Day. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E6DC143EF930A25751C1A960958260. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  21. ^ Hong Liang (2009-05-04). "Software for a financial center here". China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2009-05/04/content_7740527.htm. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  22. ^ Dealbook (March 2, 2010). "Shanghai Opens Doors to Financial World". The New York Times. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/shanghai-opens-doors-to-financial-world/. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  23. ^ a b Cathy Holcombe (ANUARY 14, 2011). "Hong Kong and the Goldilocks Regulator". Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703583404576079372306133508.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  24. ^ (Xinhua) (2009-06-02). "HK, Shenzhen promote financial industry in NY". China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-06/02/content_7964085.htm. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  25. ^ a b Martin Fackler (November 16, 2007). "Tokyo Seeking a Top Niche in Global Finance". The New York Times: World Business. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/16/business/worldbusiness/16capital.html. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 
  26. ^ Offshore Financial Centres, Richard Roberts, ISBN 1-85898-155-7
  27. ^ ISBN 0-406-94264-1, Tim Bennett (2001)
  28. ^ "International Financial Centres Forum Launched", Cayman Financial Review, 5 January 2010, http://www.compasscayman.com/cfr/2010/01/05/International-Financial-Centres-Forum-launched, retrieved 16 March 2011 

External links