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In this 32-page, 38-exhibit case study on the proprietary option trading firm, Spot Trading, that closed in late 2017, Alphacution showcases the information and insights that can be harvested from a cache of data that is hiding in plain sight. This report is also intended to educate clients and our broader network about the mechanics and drivers of macro-market structure, as well as to provide a template that will begin to set expectations for the nature of premium content that is being made available as part of Alphacution’s emerging research subscription service. The full report is available to registered users for download here:

In this 48-page, 35-exhibit study, Alphacution goes to new lengths to apply the axiom that effective management requires effective measurement – and begins the process of supporting its hypothesis that there are persistent – and ultimately, predictable – relationships between trading and operational factors for asset managers. With most asset managers being private, support for this hypothesis also means that technology spending – a rarely observable data item in this universe – can be estimated with more readily observable and contextual data about AUM and employee headcount. Moreover, it turns out that by understanding the relative positioning of technology capital (via spending patterns) with that of human capital, we achieve an unprecedented and quantitative level of understanding about the underlying scope of automation embedded in that firm’s strategy selections. These findings ultimately give birth to Alphacution’s Asset Manager Ecosystem Map, and the deeper exploration into its structural alpha, active management, and passive management zones. The complete case study is available to premium and silver subscribers or via individual report purchase.