Custodian

1.

A bank, financial institution or other entity responsible for maintaining accurate and up-to-date registration details of the beneficial owners of those securities for which it has custodial responsibility.

Custodians are also responsible for the administration of the assets they hold (including trade settlement), the collection of interest or dividends, exercising the voting rights attached to certain types of securities if so required, as well as being able to provide other services such as the production of portfolio valuations and performance measurement.

As a result of dematerialisation, the need to hold and safe keep securities in physical form has been largely removed in many of the world’s major securities markets.

2.

Any organisation or individual that holds assets on behalf of another organisation or individual.

See also

• Agent bank
• Bank
• Beneficial owner
• Custody
• Custody risk
• Dematerialisation
• Dividend
• Global custodian
• Interest
• Local custodian
• Registration
• Security
• Securities settlement system
• Sub-custodian
• Trustees