We are dedicated to developing and running systematic products and solutions across multiple asset classes.
GAM Systematic operates these programmes on bespoke systems developed in-house, optimising risk and oversight capabilities. This sophisticated and flexible technological platform allows our products to be fully customisable.
Systematic 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 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 2.8 billion¹ assets under management
Scientists
lines of our proprietary code
stocks in our historical models
components that make up our proprietary unified risk management and trading system
Our investment strategies are rules-based, operate with strict risk management and seek to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns that generally have low correlation to traditional assets as well as to other alternatives. The programmes are implemented via different clusters of strategies that capture several distinct sources of returns. Individual trades and portfolio construction are determined using highly sophisticated proprietary algorithms and risk management tools. A range of volatility targets and liquidity terms are available. For larger mandates, custom managed accounts are offered.
GAM Systematic Multi Strategy is a systematic multi-strategy investment programme launched in 2007. The portfolio combines multiple investment strategies grouped around five uncorrelated return sources: Trend Following, Value/Carry, Short Term, Diversifiers and Equity Market Neutral Cash Equities. It is built upon diverse investment research, risk management processes as well as a trading and execution infrastructure developed and tested by GAM Systematic’s own team of scientists.
Offshore 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, UCITS, Australian Trust and Managed Account versions are available for this programme.
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 Dynamic Credit is a systematic credit strategy, designed to outperform credit indices on an absolute and risk-adjusted basis over the cycle. It targets full upside participation combined with downside protection, namely in prolonged bear markets. The strategy benefits from highly active and reactive positioning and provides daily liquidity for subscriptions and redemptions.
GAM Systematic Global Equities is a long-only strategy investing in global equity markets, seeking to create a diversified portfolio across geographies, sectors and factors. The strategy benefits from proprietary, computer-based models and rigorous scientific research to create fully systematic strategies that offer cost-effective, diversified equity exposure with high active share.
Core strategies aim to outperform simple factor implementations while satellite strategies, often with shorter holding periods, aim to add diversification and deliver high quality alpha. The goal of GAM Systematic's sophisticated portfolio construction techniques is to optimise position sizes to efficiently manage risk and maximise the capture of alpha while taking into account market conditions to control trading cost.
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
Ewan Kirk, President of GAM Systematic, appears on the Speaking To Legends podcast with Nikita Fadeev of The Quant Conference, where he discusses what inspired him to found his own company and the appeal of systematic investing.
While systematic investors do not use forecasts on global markets or the global economy in the same way, Frédéric Desobry says there are data points showing that a rebound is happening.
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.
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.
Please contact us on T: +44 1223 755 755 or E: investors.systematic@gam.com
Please contact us on T: +44 1223 755 755 or E: gamcareers@gam.com
