Sep 28, 2017

Sep 28 2017 | 2:50pm ET Former SSARIS Advisors executives Mark Rosenberg and Paul Lucek have launched a new absolute-return investment firm that will specialize in a systematic convergent/divergent investment approach. The new company, named Ridgedale Advisors, will offer a flagship multi-strategy MSP program as well as a multi-source active commodity alternative index (RMAC), the company said in a statement. MSP is a systematic absolute return strategy that trades global futures across equity, fixed income, commodity and currency asset classes. The program is initially available via separately managed accounts, although a fund format is expected by year end, and it can also be structured as a note with an 8-year or shorter maturity. RMAC, meanwhile, trades more than 25 commodity markets in an attempt to outperform the Bloomberg Commodity Index while seeking to minimize drawdowns. The strategy leverages Ridgedale’s expertise in trading commodities utilizing quantitative systematic analysis of regimes, backwardation, contango and other trends. In its alpha form, RMAC hedges out the index beta to provide a pure alpha commodity return stream negatively correlated to both equity and fixed income. Rosenberg began the MSP program in 1986 when he launched RXR Capital, which then became SSARIS Advisors LLC in 2001 after selling a majority interest to State Street Global Advisors. Peter Gorman and Steven Fidanzato, also previously with SSARIS Advisors, have also joined as head of business development and head of trading, respectively. State Street Global Advisors sold back its majority stake in SSARIS to the principals in 2015. Ridgedale is headquartered in Rye, New York.