LONDON, May 10, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Solidifying its position as the preeminent investment technology firm for the asset management marketplace, Wilshire Associates Incorporated today announced the European and Asia Pacific launch of The Wilshire iQuantum(sm), an integrated performance measurement, performance attribution and risk management solution for multi-currency, multi-asset class portfolios.
"Wilshire iQuantum is built on the foundation of more than three decades of Wilshire's sophisticated analytical models, providing the most robust performance and risk analytics in the investment profession," commented Dennis A. Tito, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Wilshire Associates. "We take our position as an industry pioneer and innovator very seriously. As such, we are continually working to leverage breakthrough technology to improve upon the analytic solutions we offer to investment managers in the asset management marketplace. The Wilshire iQuantum is an example of our commitment to provide our clients with the very best tools at all times."
According to Senior Managing Director Robert J. Raab, Jr., who heads Wilshire Analytics, Wilshire iQuantum builds on the success of the popular Wilshire Quantum suite, which assists organisations with portfolio analysis, management and reporting. Wilshire Analytics develops and provides superior risk management, portfolio analysis, asset allocation and performance measurement solutions to fund managers, banks, insurers, consultants and other institutional investment organisations around the world.
"The Wilshire iQuantum is designed to provide decision support and other valuable feedback to the investment process," Raab noted. "By integrating our risk models into tracking error decomposition as well as performance attribution, clients can fully quantify the effects of their investment decisions. With our state-of-the-art attribution tools based on GIPS(r) methodology, clients can now explain all their sources of valued added down to the security level -- whether it is currency selection, weighting or trading effect. In addition, Wilshire iQuantum provides scenario analysis using the historical and hypothetical 'what if' stress testing module," Raab concluded.
Wilshire iQuantum enables GIPS-compliant performance measurement and attribution based on GIPS-compliant returns. A GIPS composite administration, auditing and verification module also is available to assist firms with GIPS reporting. Moreover, iQuantum provides a consistent framework for security level analysis through our intuitive and powerful covariance models. Daily linked performance attribution is available with a choice of two different methodologies. While the factor based attribution provides consistency with the risk reports, the returns based attribution allows the benefit of client defined groups to measure value added.
Underlying the system are Wilshire iQuantum's extensive data capabilities, which include access to a comprehensive global equity and fixed income database, plus access to all major indices at the constituent level, enabling risk and attribution analysis versus any standard or custom defined benchmark.
About Wilshire Associates
Wilshire Associates is a leading global investment technology, investment consulting and investment management firm with four business units: Wilshire Analytics, Wilshire Funds Management, Wilshire Consulting, and Wilshire Private Markets.
The firm was founded in 1972, revolutionizing the industry by pioneering the application of investment analytics and research to investment management for the institutional marketplace. Wilshire also is credited with helping to develop the field of quantitative investment analysis that uses mathematical tools to analyze market risks. All other business units evolved from Wilshire's strong analytics foundation. Wilshire developed the index now known as the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index, the first asset/liability models for pension funds, the first U.S. equity style metrics work and many other "firsts" as the firm grew to more than 300 employees serving the investment needs of institutional and high net worth clients around the world.
Based in Santa Monica, CA, Wilshire provides services to clients in more than 20 countries representing in excess of 600 organizations with assets totaling more than US$12.5 trillion. With eight offices on four continents, Wilshire Associates and its affiliates are dedicated to providing clients with the highest quality counsel, products and services. The Wilshire iQuantum is a service mark of Wilshire Associates Incorporated, Santa Monica, CA. GIPS(r) is trademarks owned by the CFA Institute. Please visit www.wilshire.com for more information.