White Paper Highlights the Rising Influence of Alternative Data in Institutional Investing

LONDON, November 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Eagle Alpha has released a new white paper authored by Gene Ekster, CFA on the role that non-traditional data research, known as alternative data, is beginning to play on the buy-side. The paper discusses how datasets such as point of sale transactions, web site usage, municipality records, social media data and similar information are being utilized by traditional long-short funds, quantitative hedge funds and also mutual funds.

The paper covers several aspects of the developing alternative data ecosystem including:

• Building an in-house capability
• Alternative data R&D process flow
• Computing infrastructure and the technology stack
• Research & analytics providers
• Alternative data compliance
• Best practices

"An increasing number of funds are purchasing raw or aggregated datasets and building internal alternative data R&D groups," said Mr. Ekster. "This move into data driven investing is an unstoppable transformation with benefits that will ripple across the investment spectrum." Components of the white paper first appeared as articles published in Integrity ResearchWatch.

The 15-page white paper sheds light on a data economy that has been changing from a rudimentary exchange system to a sophisticated marketplace populated with discerning vendors and intermediaries.

About Eagle Alpha 

Eagle Alpha is the alternative data platform for asset managers. Eagle Alpha is the only company that enables asset managers to exploit alternative data through proprietary analytics, a data marketplace, custom tools, actionable research and thought leadership.

About Gene Ekster, CFA 

Gene Ekster works with asset management firms and data providers in a consulting capacity to help integrate alternative data into the investment process. He was previously head of R&D at Point72 Asset Management (formerly SAC Capital), a Director of Data Product at 1010Data and a Senior Analyst at Majestic Research (now ITG Investment Research). Gene serves as an advisor at Eagle Alpha. He can be reached via LinkedIn and can help organizations evaluate data assets' application to the investment industry and facilitate potential introductions to funds.