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Goldman Sachs unit aims quant funds at Hong Kong’s retail investors - South China Morning Post

Reported by Scmp
Oct 30, 2018· 2 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Goldman Sachs Asset Management launched seven retail investment funds in Hong Kong, including three quantitative equity strategies focused on emerging markets, Europe, and global core equity portfolios, alongside a Global Multi-Asset Income Portfolio (GMAI).
  • • The three quantitative funds employ algorithmic stock-picking and machine learning techniques, positioning Goldman Sachs to compete with rivals already deploying advanced data analysis and big data methodologies in Asian retail markets.
  • • Goldman Sachs' Quantitative Investment Strategies (QIS) team brings 35+ years of systematic, data-driven investing experience, supported by 80+ market practitioners and data scientists backed by 90+ engineers, with $170+ billion in assets under supervision.
  • • The Hong Kong retail fund launch represents Goldman Sachs Asset Management's strategic pivot toward mainstream retail investors in Asia, leveraging the firm's established presence in the region (office opened in 1983) and technological infrastructure to capture market share in quantitative equity investing.
Summary
Goldman Sachs Asset Management announced the launch of seven retail investment funds targeting Hong Kong investors, marking a deliberate shift toward retail distribution in a region where the firm has maintained institutional operations for decades. The product suite comprises three quantitative equity strategies and four additional funds, including the Global Multi-Asset Income Portfolio (GMAI). This move positions Goldman Sachs alongside competitors already integrating machine learning and big data analysis into stock selection processes across Asian markets.

The three quantitative funds focus on distinct geographic and thematic mandates: emerging markets, European equities, and global core equity portfolios. These funds employ algorithmic approaches to equity selection, representing a technological approach to active management that contrasts with traditional stock-picking methodologies. Goldman Sachs' quantitative platform is anchored by its Quantitative Investment Strategies (QIS) team, which has operated for over 35 years as a systematic, data-driven investment operation within the firm.

The QIS infrastructure supporting these Hong Kong retail funds reflects substantial organizational depth. The team operates with 80+ experienced market practitioners and data scientists, supplemented by 90+ engineers dedicated to technology and data processing. The operation currently supervises $170+ billion in assets and processes over one trillion datapoints, enabling the deployment of advanced statistical analysis across diversified data sources. This technical backbone underscores Goldman Sachs' competitive positioning in quantitative investing, where data ingestion and analytical sophistication drive performance differentiation.

Hong Kong represents a strategic expansion point for Goldman Sachs Asset Management's retail push, building on the firm's longstanding Asia presence. The territory serves as a vital financial bridge for the broader Asian region, and the introduction of quantitative retail funds capitalizes on growing investor appetite for algorithm-driven strategies. By democratizing access to sophisticated quantitative methodologies previously reserved for institutional clients, Goldman Sachs targets Hong Kong's retail investor base while competing in a market where quantitative and machine learning-based investing have gained operational prominence among institutional competitors.

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Sources

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Scmp Goldman Sachs unit aims quant funds at Hong Kong’s retail investors - South China Morning Post