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Credit Suisse Asset Management announced the launch of the Systematic Trading Group ("Systematic Trading" or "the Group") within its Asset Management Division. Systematic Trading will offer investors access to actively managed liquid trading strategies that will seek to achieve risk-adjusted returns with relatively low correlation to traditional markets within a pre-defined risk management framework.

The Group, which will offer dynamic asset allocation across multiple systematic strategies, will be managed by Mika Toikka, formerly the Global Head of Risk and Strategy for Proprietary Trading in Credit Suisse's Investment Bank.

The Group will build on the Asset Management Division's existing quantitative products. The Group will initially manage approximately $500 million of assets, which will include Credit Suisse seed capital and assets from some of Credit Suisse Asset Management's existing quantitative platforms. It will have a centrally managed and unified research process with a pre-defined risk management and governance structure. The Group is expected to be comprised initially of approximately 20 traders, research analysts and front office personnel offering a diverse set of liquid strategies across multiple asset classes with transparency.

Mika Toikka, the head of Systematic Trading, said, "Leveraging our pre-existing infrastructure, Asset Management is consolidating platforms and deploying the resources necessary to build the Systematic Trading Group and attract world class trading talent. We have started to bring together a team of traders from within Asset Management with a group of hedge fund managers and former proprietary traders from other top-tier financial institutions to build on the track record of Asset Management's quantitative product line to offer our clients access to systematic trading strategies."

With the launch of the Group, Credit Suisse's Asset Management division is forming a Systematic Trading Advisory Board. The Board will initially consist of Robert Engle, Nobel Prize in Economics 2003 (Professor of Finance, Stern School of Business) ; Olivier Ledoit, the former head of Statistical Arbitrage at Credit Suisse Global Prop Trading in Europe (Permanent Research Fellow at University of Zurich); and Andrew Mullhaupt, formerly of Renaissance Technologies and SAC Capital (Research Professor at Stony Brook University).

Andy Stewart, Head of Liquid Alternatives for Asset Management, said, "We are committed to developing solutions that meet the evolving needs of clients, while seeking to actively manage their risk profiles. Through the creation of Systematic Trading, we intend to satisfy the demand for liquid and transparent systematic investment strategies with diversified alpha, all within a governance framework."

Ravi Singh, Head of Alternative Investments for Asset Management, said, "Systematic Trading further strengthens our alternative investments platform that offers investment products that seek to provide opportunities for growth and diversification in today's complex markets."

This article was prepared by Investment Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Investment Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.