Automating the Front Office: Active Management 2.0

Active portfolio management faces challenges from passive products, market structure and regulatory changes, and persistent low volatility. To survive, active managers must undertake efforts to transform the analysis, communication, and execution of investment ideas within the framework of an integrated, intelligent workflow. This research report investigates how automated the trading function really is, who is using big data and cognitive technologies, and what asset class(es) are leading the way. It concludes with a look at the shifting interactions across the front office, and how technology can be used to achieve true integration of front office functions.