Korea Investment & Securities partners with quant giant AQR to expand global product lineup

Korea Investment & Securities said Wednesday it held talks with US quantitative asset manager AQR Capital Management at its Yeouido headquarters in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss ways to bring AQR's global investment products to the South Korean market.

Through the partnership, the brokerage plans to expand customer access to a broader range of investment strategies — including quantitative and alternative approaches — beyond the traditional share- and bond-focused global products it currently offers.

The meeting was attended by Korea Investment & Securities President Kim Sung-hwan and AQR co-founder John Liew, along with other senior officials from both sides. It followed an earlier meeting held during Kim's visit to New York in September.

The two firms are actively discussing how to structure AQR-managed global investment products for the domestic market, including registration and launch schedules for relevant products in South Korea. They plan to gradually expand a joint global product lineup that draws on the strengths of both companies.

AQR is a global asset manager that identifies investment ideas through quantitative analysis and implements systematic portfolio management strategies. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, the firm operates offices in major financial centers including India, Hong Kong, London and Sydney.

AQR manages approximately $253 billion in assets, running a wide range of investment strategies spanning both traditional assets — equities, macro, arbitrage and multi-strategy — and alternative investments.

Korea Investment & Securities has been actively expanding its strategic partnerships with global financial institutions. Last month, it held an overseas investor relations event called "KIS Night" in New York, introducing the South Korean market and the company to local businesses and financial institutions.

During that New York visit, Kim also forged a series of strategic cooperation agreements with global asset managers including Fidelity, Pimco and Carlyle — moves aimed at securing exclusive access to their research capabilities for the domestic market and exploring opportunities for joint product development and co-investment.

"As customer interest in global investment grows, demand is expanding beyond simple geographic and asset diversification to encompass a wider variety of investment strategies," Kim said. "We will combine AQR's accumulated quantitative investment capabilities with Korea Investment & Securities' product and retail strengths to deliver differentiated global investment opportunities."