We apply innovative scientific techniques to invest systematically across asset classes and investment styles within our Core Macro and Alternative Risk Premia capabilities.
Systematic rules-based investing, when implemented in a robust environment, can be a source of diversification across asset classes and investment styles. It offers investment style diversification away from fundamentals-focused discretionary approaches as well as away from passive approaches. Systematic approaches typically do not rely solely on fundamental (e.g. growth-focused) data but also consider technical price data and newer alternative data sets such as news, weather and shipping information. This diversification of input data can help systematic approaches deliver performance even when fundamentals (e.g. economic growth rates) are challenged or are not driving asset prices. Risk management in systematic funds is not left to the discretion of the trader or analyst, but rather is coded as unwavering exposure management rules. This helps systematic investing have a well-defined and contained risk profile.
CHF 1.3 billion¹ assets under management
lines of our proprietary code
components that make up our proprietary unified risk management and trading system
Our investment strategies are fully systematic, with dedicated teams in Cambridge, London and Zurich. Our highly experienced investment teams conduct rigorous scientific research to create strategies that identify and harvest multiple sources of returns uncorrelated to traditional asset classes. asset classes and investment styles.
GAM Systematic Core Macro is a diversified global macro fund investing in liquid instruments across asset classes with the objective of delivering returns not correlated to equities and bonds in the long term, and with the potential to perform positively in a sustained bear market. By combining multiple strategies grouped around two return sources - Trend and Value/Carry - the portfolio aims to capture uncorrelated alpha, to deliver attractive, risk-adjusted returns. GAM Systematic Alternative Risk Premia seeks to systematically harvest alternative risk premia returns across markets. The strategy is managed by a team who were pioneers in the ARP space and aims to deliver consistent returns, with low correlation to equities and bonds and a focus on capital preservation.
A range of volatility targets and liquidity terms are available. For larger mandates, customised managed accounts are available.
GAM Systematic Alternative Risk Premia delivers portfolios that target absolute returns with a low correlation to traditional assets over the long term. The programme has been live since 2012, with the team having run alternative risk premia since 2004. The team analyses, structures, and implements a diverse range of liquid alternative return sources – or ‘alternative risk premia’ – from across global markets. The most attractive premia are combined and risk-sized in portfolios using the team’s proprietary Expected Drawdown Analysis methodology, an innovative approach focused on capital preservation. Offered with fully customisable investment objectives, the strategy is designed to complement investors’ existing traditional and alternative investment exposures, and features daily liquidity, high transparency and fee simplicity.
Offshore, UCITS, Australian Trust and Managed Account versions are available for this programme.
GAM Systematic Core Macro delivers a multi-strategy and cross-asset class portfolio that seeks to generate returns uncorrelated to traditional asset classes. It uses proprietary, state-of-the-art research and trading systems to identify persistent and recurring sources of return in markets. These can be identified and harvested systematically via liquid instruments across currencies, fixed income, equities and commodities. Offering high liquidity, the strategy can act as a cost-effective diversifier to any portfolio over the course of a market cycle. Offshore, Australian Trust and Managed Account versions are available for this programme.
GAM Systematic’s sophisticated and flexible technological platform allows us to develop and manage customised solutions for all of our strategies. Our solutions are tailored to each client to fit within their specific investment strategy whilst meeting their investment objectives and constraints at the same time.
Along with its world-class university, Cambridge is a global innovation and technology hub, giving us access to some of the brightest minds in the world. The majority of the team come from academic backgrounds such as engineering, astrophysics, statistics, computer science and other quantitative disciplines, many of whom studied at Cambridge.
Our close links to, and constant dialogue with, Cambridge academia help us apply cutting-edge academic theories to financial markets.
This relationship was established by the founding partners of Cantab Capital Partners LLP, which was named GAM Systematic Cambridge following its acquisition by GAM Investments.
Prior to its acquisition by GAM Investments in 2016, the founding partners at Cantab made a philanthropic donation to the University of Cambridge. The University in turn used the money to establish the Cantab Capital Institute for the Mathematics of Information. The Institute sits within Cambridge University’s Faculty of Mathematics and aims to galvanise and accelerate progress in data science and its applications. Bringing together some of the world’s leading researchers in various disciplines, the Institute draws on fundamental techniques from mathematical sciences to tackle head on the challenge of deciphering meaning in the reams of data which surround us thus aiding students in progressing their skills of data analytics.
Further information about the Institute is available here: www.ccimi.maths.cam.ac.uk
3 min read
The vast amounts of capital now being deployed across ESG assets has, in recent years, led to financial innovation in the form of ESG-related equity derivatives. In a new paper, GAM Systematic’s trading team, Shamir Pandya, Wanpin Zhuang and Joe Devine, map the evolutionary journey from launch to present of the three most liquid ESG index futures and assess their current tradability from a systematic perspective.
3 min read
Following a decade of sustained global growth and further rate hikes on the horizon, forward looking yields across both equities and fixed income now appear challenging. Investors are increasingly seeking alternatives that can allow them to diversify their portfolio away from traditional equities or duration risk.
12 min read
In the last decade, the commodity futures market has assumed increased dominance in the finance industry. GAM Investments’ Dr Daniele Lamponi and Dr Lars Jaeger explore how alternative risk premia algorithms can adapt to the financialisation of commodity markets.
5:42 min watch
3:32 min watch
Paolo Scripelliti outlines two broad developments across the investment landscape, some of the more nuanced themes which have worked in the alternative risk premia (ARP) space and a likely focus on opportunistic risk taking for the next quarter given equity markets may be range bound.
GAM Systematic is made up of two distinct, but connected, teams: GAM Systematic Cambridge and the Alternative Risk Premia team.
At any one time approximately half the GAM Systematic Cambridge team are engaged in research and development, with a view to further enhancing the strategies. When recruiting the team deliberately focuses on attracting top scientists, rather than predominantly investment managers. This results in diversity of thought and a broad range of experience from various fields and disciplines. This enables GAM Systematic Cambridge to think differently and ultimately to build portfolios for clients which are differentiated from and which have limited correlation to major systematic indices as well as to major competitors in this space. The team has a diverse skill set, with the common denominator being academic excellence and collegial team spirit.
The Alternative Risk Premia team is entirely focused on strategy research and portfolio development. The background of the different team members is highly quantitative, ranging from theoretical physics to mathematics, computer science and neuroscience. This strong quantitative orientation, together with many years of trading experience in global capital markets enables the team to evaluate, build and optimally execute a broad range of risk premium strategies. In the spirit of the wider GAM Systematic environment, the team loves and lives the rigour of academic excellence.
Rigorous scientific research
Our investment philosophy and process is based on rigorous scientific research to create systematic strategies that identify and harvest numerous sources of returns. Our strong infrastructure and proprietary technology allow us to run multiple models, creating effective diversification through different asset classes and market regimes. Our systems and data quality enables extremely efficient and high-quality trade execution.
Our approach, and the way we think about things, means that we need people with strong statistical and programming skills. We hire people from a range of scientific disciplines, and they don't need to have previous financial experience.
If you think you'd be a good fit, please have a look at our current vacancies. We look forward to hearing from you.
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