The end of Jardine Fleming
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The end of Jardine Fleming

The Asian crisis, globalization and John Manser's desire for order have all conspired to end the independence of Hong Kong's last serious investment bank. Once the cornerstone of profitability at Robert Fleming and Jardine Matheson, Jardine Fleming is to be merged with its UK-based parent. It is the end of an era.

Dressing up for a sale?


"It was driven by the changing demands of the business," says Alasdair Morrison, taipan of Jardine Matheson. "Globalization has been picking up in recent years." "All of the business activities have become global in nature," says Tim Freshwater, deputy chairman of Jardine Fleming. "Clients require a global service," says John Manser, chairman of Robert Fleming.

In case you haven't guessed, the agenda was globalization. The decision to merge Jardine Fleming into UK-based investment bank Robert Fleming is being portrayed as part of the inevitable process of globalization in investment banking. The logic of this is hard to dispute.

However, for those who have been watching Jardine Fleming in recent years it is clear that there was another agenda and it was one man's: John Manser's. As soon as Manser became boss of Robert Fleming in 1990 the independence of the Hong Kong-based investment bank was always under threat.

The prodigal joint venture is now to be unwound after 28 successful years, its demise largely the result of its own success. In 1993 Jardine Fleming made profits of $202 million profits and in 1994 $211 million.


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