TITLE: Seeking Alpha: The Quest for New Land

SPEAKER: Kirk Wang
Director at SystematIQ Research
A Standard and Poors Capital IQ Unit

ABSTRACT:

An introduction into quantitative equity investment process as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by today's quantitative investors. The recent market condition has raised questions about the future alpha-generating potential of quantitative investment strategies. We will discuss this topical issue and the implication of homogeneous approaches and heavily mined data sets in the alpha construction process. We will explore the impact and importance of technology, unconventional data sets and present several new techniques in discovering new alpha sources for institutional quantitative investors. Utilizing Capital IQs Key Development database and ClariFIs industry-leading analytical software, we have examined the impact of event driven information to various traditional quantitative stock selection strategies. Well review the related academic studies and methodologies and share our approach in using the event driven signals to enhance stock selection models.

Bio:

Kirk Wang, Director at SystematIQ Research, Standard and Poors Capital IQ business. His responsibilities include global quantitative equity research, research technologies and product development. Prior to Capital IQ, he was a quantitative analyst with Mesirow Advanced Strategies, a Funds of Hedge Funds group where he performed analysis on various global hedge fund strategies. Prior to Mesirow, he was a quantitative analyst with Quantitative Services Group, an independent quantitative equity research provider. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicagos Booth School of Business.