Since the launch of its flagship strategy in 1998, Marshall Wace has established itself as one of Europe’s foremost hedge fund managers.
At the heart of our success is the drive to deliver investment performance of the highest quality to our investors. We are dedicated to building sustainable competitive advantage within the investment management industry and strive continuously to enhance all stages of the investment process to achieve this aim.
Marshall Wace brings together two complementary approaches to equity long/short fund management. First, traditional, fundamental long/short investing (“manager-led”) and, secondly, process-driven strategies, based on the unique alpha capture system, Marshall Wace TOPS (“MW TOPS”). Both approaches draw on the unrivalled information edge derived from the dynamic driving the relationships with those providing investment recommendations to the firm. This has created a revolutionary and virtuous circle that aligns the interests of investor, fund manager and service provider.
Fundamental long/short investing was a founding strategy of Marshall Wace and the development of a range of manager-led funds remains a key strategic objective for the firm. We continue to seek to recruit portfolio managers and analysts of the highest calibre and to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns to investors through a structured and rigorous investment process.
The MW TOPS investment strategy is based on a unique and proprietary alpha capture system, which enables Marshall Wace to measure, extract and monetise alpha-based return from a network of ca. 2000 contributors across global equity markets (in over 50 countries). The resultant portfolios are highly liquid and diversified and benefit from strong competitive advantages in terms of portfolio construction, risk management and execution.
The formation of a joint venture, Marshall Wace GaveKal Asia Limited, in June 2008, reflects the company's further strategic objective to develop a greater presence in Asia. The bringing together of GaveKal's knowledge of the Asia-Pacific region alongside the innovative product design and portfolio management discipline of Marshall Wace has resulted in powerful synergies. The offering of a range of funds under the umbrella of the joint venture is intended to allow investors to capitalise on the long-term growth prospects in Asia.
Globally, Marshall Wace is committed to building a business that will offer investors the benefits of both manager-led and process-driven strategies, extracting alpha and beta from opportunities arising across global equity markets. Within the alternative investment community, Marshall Wace was also instrumental in the creation of the Hedge Fund Standards Board which has been set up to establish and maintain a set of voluntary best practice standards for hedge fund managers including disclosure, valuation, risk management, fund governance and shareholder conduct.