Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. is an American financial technology company headquartered in Lake Success, New York. Its business is to provide the software, infrastructure and services that support the day-to-day operations of financial institutions and publicly traded companies. Less visible to the general public than payment apps, it is particularly involved in the flow of information to investors and in transaction processing.
Independence Gained in 2007
Broadridge became an independent company in 2007 following the spin-off of the brokerage services business of Automatic Data Processing, better known as ADP. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BR. This heritage explains its positioning: delivering complex, often recurring processes at scale, for which clients seek both technological capabilities and continuity of service.
Its development combines organic growth and acquisitions. The acquisition of Itiviti in 2021 notably expanded its offering in trading software and connectivity between market participants. Broadridge thus covers more stages of the transaction lifecycle, from the tools used for trading to the processing that follows execution.
From Shareholder Communications to Transaction Processing
One group of activities focuses on investor communications. Broadridge helps issuers, financial intermediaries and asset managers produce and distribute regulatory documents, statements and information relating to general meetings. Its services also include proxy voting mechanisms, which are essential to the exercise of shareholder rights. Digitizing these exchanges is a key area of transformation for this business.
A second group brings together technologies and operations for capital markets and wealth management. The company offers solutions for post-trade processing, position keeping, data management and financial advisor support. Its clients can outsource certain processing activities rather than maintain all the necessary infrastructure themselves. This approach places Broadridge at the intersection of software, operational services and compliance requirements.
What Comes Next?
Shorter settlement cycles, illustrated by the US market’s move to T+1 in 2024, are increasing the need for automation and data quality. For Broadridge, the challenge is to help its clients modernize their systems without undermining processing chains subject to stringent availability and traceability requirements.
The company is also developing applications of artificial intelligence and distributed ledgers, particularly for certain securities financing transactions. Their adoption will depend on demonstrable operational gains, integration with existing systems and the regulatory framework. Cybersecurity, cost control and the ability to adapt infrastructure will therefore remain just as important as the introduction of new technologies.