Renaissance, Two Sigma and DE Shaw suffer unusual setbacks with average quant fund losing 14% this year per Credit Suisse estimate. So-called quantitative funds rely on high-powered computers, vast data sets, and algorithms to systematically exploit patterns in securities prices.
“This rapid unwind is indicative of the magnitude of the broader shift in attitude towards the economic fallout from Covid-19,” the bank’s hedge fund desk said in a note to clients on Sunday. “There are weeks when risk becomes difficult to manage,” said Mark Connors, global head of risk advisory on Credit Suisse’s prime services desk. “Most funds have had a tough period with both longs and shorts in this environment.”