StockViews Ltd, the online equity research platform, successfully completed a second round of equity funding.
The new equity was raised from existing and new investors, including GWC, a Silicon Valley based venture fund. At the same time, StockViews was granted FCA authorisation and appointed Thomas Balk, the former President of Fidelity International, as its Executive Chairman.
The quality of traditional investment-banking research has been in decline for years. Senior investment analysts have departed the financial industry while banks stretch existing resources in an attempt to maintain coverage. This has resulted in a “maintenance research” model, focused on superficial coverage of quarterly results and a bias towards encouraging trading activity.
StockViews approaches research from an asset manager's perspective, focusing on the discovery of substantial opportunities that have been overlooked by the market. The platform combines exceptional talent and a unique research process with powerful technology.
The upcoming regulatory changes under Mifid II will further accelerate the shake-up of the industry and is expected to create growing demand from Asset Managers for high-quality, independent investment research.
With the latest injection of additional capital, the addition of senior industry experts to the management team and regulatory approval, StockViews is now preparing to launch its equity research platform to clients during the summer, ahead of the Mifid II legislation taking effect.
Tom Beevers, CEO StockViews Ltd, said: "As a result of the upcoming regulatory changes under Mifid II, it is clear there is a growing demand for high quality, differentiated equity research. The new capital, our expanding team of leading analysts and the arrival of our new Executive Chairman will position us well for this opportunity.”