The Next Quant Meltdown

Fund managers who survived the quant bloodbath of August 2007 say the strategy is safer ten years later. But with its popularity soaring to new heights, some wonder whether crowded trades — and rising leverage — will lead to another downfall.

2017-08-alpha-michelle-celarier-fea-quant-meltdown-large.jpg
2017-08-alpha-michelle-celarier-fea-quant-meltdown-article-page.jpg
Illustrations by Justin Renteria.

Ten years ago, during the second week of a sultry New York August, Michael Mendelson was getting a sandwich at the Subway shop near the Greenwich, Connecticut, office of AQR Capital Management when all hell broke loose.

To continue reading, subscribe now to Premium Journalism. Already a subscriber? login.

Related