The path to 2030: key findings

What is the scale and urgency of securities processing transformation in the next five years?

In Partnership with

Content Types

Key findings

Topics

Asset allocators Asset servicing Settlements and T+1

Region

Global

SHARE THIS INSIGHT

Securities processing transformation is becoming urgent. Firms must balance legacy costs, underperforming platforms and pressure to modernise. These key findings show how firms are planning spend through 2030, where innovation has stalled, and what investment is needed to improve resilience and returns.

Legacy consumes budget

Investment

A trend graphic showing 57% of sell-side tech spend goes to legacy.

Firms are investing at least USD 9.9 million in new capabilities – but legacy dependency is consuming the budget that should support transformation.

Buy-side firms are targeting meaningful annual savings through more efficient processing.

Transformation pace lagging

Delivery

A graphic showing 59% struggle to deliver transformation fast enough.

Platform underinvestment creates a compounding problem – the longer transformation is delayed, the harder it becomes.

Firms have already spent around USD 130 million on legacy transition activity, yet delivery timelines remain under pressure.

Innovation budget shift

Outlook

A graphic showing 63% of budgets directed to innovation by 2030.

As mandatory regulatory spend declines, firms have an opportunity to redirect investment towards genuine transformation.

Budget is expected to shift decisively toward modernisation by 2030, reflecting growing confidence in the commercial case for change.

Securities processing investment is no longer just a technology question. Firms now need to decide how much to spend, where to focus, and how to balance legacy constraints against the need for scale, resilience and operational efficiency.

How much transformation is enough in an environment where budgets remain constrained but platform performance is under pressure? Which parts of the securities processing landscape are absorbing spend today, and where are firms expecting the strongest returns by 2030?

The findings are based on a survey of more than 350 financial professionals across Asia-Pacific (APAC), Europe and North America. Respondents were from banks, brokers, investors, market operators and market participants involved in securities processing transformation.

The research, produced in partnership with FIS, highlights:

Sell-side firms are investing at least US dollar (USD) 9.9 million in new scale, capabilities and efficiencies. 57% of their technology spend still goes to managing legacy systems

Buy-side firms are looking to save an average of USD 1.6 million each year through more efficient securities processing

Firms have already spent around USD 130 million on legacy transition activity

59% struggle to transform quickly enough: many firms are finding it difficult to deliver transformation projects at the pace required by market and regulatory change