Barra upgrade targets investment professionals

Barra, the Berkeley, California-based risk management technology vendor, has released a new version of its web-based risk analysis tool BarraOne, designed to make risk management more accessible to a broader range of investors.

BarraOne is powered by a cross-asset class integrated risk model that allows multiple asset classes to be evaluated in the same portfolio. The latest version, BarraOne 1.2, includes flexible risk analysis that allows assets to be categorised by the user. Simple data administration permits benchmark assets to be added and includes global industry classification standards and sector classifications. Managers can create custom composite benchmarks, and the response times have improved threefold, the company said.

BarraOne is aimed at allowing interactive risk analysis and reporting to align with any investment process. Managers can evaluate the sources of risk that are essential to their strategies and better align risk with expected sources of return.

Several investment companies, including UK-based Oxwich Capital, Ansbacher Investment Services and Majedie Asset Management, are using BarraOne. “With BarraOne, portfolio managers like myself are better equipped to proactively use risk analytics in the decision-making process, thereby generating more predictable returns while reducing risk for our clients,” said Oxwich Capital director Christopher Pople.