Competition For Quants On Wall Street Intensifies As Two Sigma Sponsors Contest

As Michigan State University announces it is dropping allocation towards traditional hedge funds in favor of quants, with the fabled Renaissance Technologies at the top of their list, the search for new quantitative methods to replicate success expands. Two Sigma, considered among the leading quant hedge funds in the world, thinks Wall Street needs more pure data scientists without a financial background. The firm is among several sponsoring an algorithm contest targeting the tech world’s best and brightest to encourage more pure data scientists to consider finance. With demand for quants building to outstrip supply, the novel methods to recruit talent have…