GLOBAL- Corporate treasurers are becoming much happier outsourcing their activities in an attempt to manage risk and control costs, according to the latest cash management survey by JPMorgan Fleming AM and the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

Sixty one institutes from around the world answered the survey which attempts to evaluate the state of the cash management market. Four out of ten who responded said they outsourced part of their treasury activities. In 2000. the corresponding figure was one in ten.

The survey also found that online dealing is expected to be the primary growth area over the next year with 47% saying they will use the internet for this in the future.

Only 2% said that they do not bother to look at the credit quality of their counterparties and of the 98% that do, almost half the respondents placed their minimum threshold at the highest credit rating.

The survey also verified established trends such as an increased use of technology and new investment instruments. Acceptance of money market funds in the UK market is also increasing as more people realise how useful they are for cash management.

Says Peter Knight, head of institutional liquidity at JP Morgan: “we were particularly interested to see respondents attitudes to risk management as well as the growing tendency for treasurers to use the internet as a vital tool in their everyday activities. The survey also showed that the difficult economic conditions of the past year have led to a greater acceptance of outsourcing among treasurers.”

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