Best Overall Data/Service Provider: FactSet

FactSet has a history of clinching awards, and the vendor maintains its strong position in the marketplace by continuing to invest in content and functionality. “Usability has been a big focus to us,” says Goran Skoko, senior vice president, workstation solutions at FactSet, explaining that FactSet continually upgrades its workstation and portfolio analytics in response to client feedback, including recent improvements to search and navigation capabilities.

The main breadwinner for FactSet is its Portfolio Analytics Suite, where Skoko says the focus is on continuously enhancing content to provide customers with unique insights. “An example is our Geographical Revenue data set, which provides a true understanding of a portfolio’s exposure to geopolitical, macroeconomic and market factors,” explains Skoko. FactSet also recently expanded ownership content with fixed-income ownership data—a data type notoriously difficult to collect.

In addition, the financial information and analytics provider has seen success with FactSet StreetAccount, a news solution that helps investment professionals focus only on what is new and relevant to them. FactSet also made a big investment in buy-side execution management, completing the acquisition of execution management systems provider Portware in October 2015. According to Skoko, the aim for FactSet is to cover as many components of the investment workflow as possible.

In the next year, the market can expect to see FactSet investing further in mobile services and continuing to expand and enhance its multi-asset class solutions.