SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wilshire Associates Incorporated (Wilshire®), a leading global, independent investment consulting and services firm, today announced the launch of its “Powered by Wilshire” solution that allows investment and fund managers to marry their own proprietary index methodology with Wilshire’s well-respected brand, time-tested index calculation engine and state-of-the-art distribution platform. The new offering provides an independent, 3rd party, implemented solution that delivers historical index data to support marketing efforts as well as ongoing calculations.
ABR Dynamic Funds LLC, which creates indices and liquid alternative products, will be the first to use Wilshire’s solution to “power” its new ABR Dynamic Blend Equity & Volatility Index, which also launches today and is available at www.wilshire.com/indexcalculator/poweredbywilshire.
In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, investment managers are faced with increased fee pressure, an increased need for due diligence and the continued search for alpha. Aligning with Wilshire allows managers to leverage more than four decades of index experience, as well as enhance the credibility of performance metrics for investment products as stated versus an index.
“As creator of the Wilshire 5000, the most widely accepted benchmark for the broad U.S. stock market, our mandate is to provide high quality index solutions that help investors accurately measure performance for a host of investment vehicles,” said Dennis A. Tito, founder and CEO of Wilshire Associates. “We’re proud to introduce the next evolution of index solutions designed to help investment managers bring innovative product solutions to market quickly.”
ABR Dynamic Funds, a subsidiary of ABR Management LLC, is using the Powered by Wilshire index platform to create an index with a dynamic blend of the S&P 500 index futures, as well as CBOE VIX futures, which will generally track the U.S. equity markets in bull markets and also have a VIX component that will generally outperform in bear markets.
“ABR is pleased to leverage Wilshire’s index technology and distribution expertise to help us deliver an index that has significant risk-adjusted rates of return, yet simultaneously maintains a low beta relative to US equity markets,” said Taylor Lukof, founder, managing member and chief investment officer of ABR Management. “We are thrilled that Wilshire’s legacy as creator of the first total market index now extends to fueling a new family of algorithmic indices traded by a quantitative firm like ABR.”
About Wilshire Associates
Wilshire Associates, a leading global, independent investment consulting and services firm, provides consulting services, analytics solutions and customized investment products to plan sponsors, investment managers and financial intermediaries. Its business units include, Wilshire Analytics, Wilshire Consulting, Wilshire Funds Management and Wilshire Private Markets.
The firm was founded in 1972, providing revolutionary technology and acting as an early innovator in the application of investment analytics and research to investment managers in 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 Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index and became an early innovator in creating integrated asset/liability analysis/simulation models as well as practical models in risk budgeting through beta and active risk analysis. Wilshire has grown to a firm of more than 300 employees serving the needs of investors around the world.
Based in Santa Monica, California, Wilshire provides services to clients in more than 20 countries representing more than 500 organizations with assets totaling approximately US $7 trillion.* With eleven offices on four continents, Wilshire Associates and its affiliates are dedicated to providing clients with the highest quality counsel, products and services. Wilshire® and Wilshire 5000® are registered service marks of Wilshire Associates Incorporated. Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index℠, Wilshire US Micro-Cap Index℠, Wilshire US Large-Cap Value Index℠, Wilshire US Large-Cap Growth Index℠, Wilshire US Small-Cap Growth Index℠ and Wilshire US Small-Cap Value Index℠, Wilshire US Real Estate Securities Index℠ and Wilshire exUS Real Estate Securities Index℠ are service marks of Wilshire Associates Incorporated.
The ABR Dynamic Blend Equity and Volatility Index℠ (“Index”) is based on a methodology designed by ABR Dynamic Funds, LLC and is Powered by Wilshire. Wilshire calculates and distributes the Index based on the third-party supplied methodology. Wilshire makes no representations about the intended purpose or the methodology used to construct the Index.
Please visit www.wilshire.com
for more information.
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About ABR Dynamic Funds
ABR Dynamic Funds, LLC, a subsidiary of ABR Management LLC, was founded in 2015 to create indices and liquid alternative products based on intellectual property developed at the parent company. ABR focuses on quantitative-driven strategies in U.S.-based equities, futures, and options. ABR Dynamic Funds, LLC will take the strategies developed by an R&D group with over 35 years combined trading experience and forge scalable, dynamic liquid alternative products to further serve its clients.
Please visit www.abrdynamicfunds.com for more information.