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Key Takeaways
- BofA Securities hosted the second Asia Pacific Integrated Quant Services Senior Leadership Conference in Hong Kong, bringing together over 110 senior industry professionals.
- Discussions highlighted a shift in Asia’s quantitative market, with global funds’ operating models undergoing profound changes driven by growing interest from asset allocators, rising trading volumes, and widespread technology adoption.
- Participants from over 70 institutions shared how strategies are expanding across markets, particularly in terms of liquidity, regulation, and market structure.
Hong KongJune 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Discussions at BofA Securities’ Asia Pacific Integrated Quant Services Senior Leadership Conference, held in Hong Kong on May 20, 2026, indicate that Asia’s quantitative market is undergoing a transformation, fueled by growing interest from asset allocators, increasing trading volumes, and widespread technology adoption.
A panel discussion titled “China Quantitative Investment 4.0: From Domestic Growth to Institutional Maturity” was held at BofA Securities’ 2026 Asia Pacific Integrated Quant Services Senior Leadership Conference in Hong Kong. Panelists included (from right to left) Stephan Zhou, Ken Chung, and Michael Zhang; the session was moderated by David Broadfield.
Over 110 senior industry professionals from more than 70 institutions attended the conference, including systematic funds, market makers, multi-strategy platforms, and global investors.
Participants noted that average daily trading volumes in mainland China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan this year increased by 55%, 146%, 48%, and 85%1, respectively, highlighting how heightened trading activity supports strategy expansion across markets. Discussions also emphasized that a growing focus on platform infrastructure, regulatory readiness, and talent are key drivers of growth.
David Broadfield, Head of Asia Pacific Prime Brokerage and Financing at BofA Securities, said: “Systematic investing in Asia is expanding rapidly. As clients extend strategies across markets and asset classes, consistency of execution, financing capabilities, and access to liquidity are becoming increasingly important.”
Asian Client Repositioning
As investors seek new sources of alpha and robust execution capabilities, discussions highlighted the expansion of strategies in Asia to capture fragmented liquidity, navigate evolving market structures, and leverage new data sources. Retail-driven trading, the emergence of alternative trading venues, and regulatory changes are reshaping how global funds operate.
Xavier Feschet, Head of Asia Pacific Equities at BofA Securities, said: “In this context, we are seeing increased client activity as portfolios are repositioned and strategies expand across markets. Our Global Markets platform—spanning regions, asset classes, and products—enables us to provide scaling, financing, liquidity, and risk management solutions to support our clients’ evolving needs.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Asia Pacific Integrated Quant Services Senior Leadership Conference?
A: The Asia Pacific Integrated Quant Services Senior Leadership Conference focuses on systematic investing, covering cross-asset allocation, execution, and market structure.
Q: Why are investors increasingly focusing on Asia?
A: As the hedge fund ecosystem matures, clients are focusing on diversification, scaling, and cross-market operations. In recent years, expansion into Asia has increased through strategy deployment and regional growth. As discussed at the conference, Asia remains a key market for hedge funds, supported by liquidity and evolving market structures.
Q: What were the highlights of the conference?
A: The agenda included panel discussions on the global expansion of Asian quantitative strategies, the evolving quant landscape, market access and regulation, market structure innovation, retail-driven liquidity, alternative data, and trading infrastructure.
Q: How does this relate to BofA Securities’ services?
A: The Integrated Quant Services platform leverages its Global Markets platform to provide expertise in execution, financing, and market structure, helping systematic investment managers scale their strategies. Learn more about BofA Securities’ Global Markets platform.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, offering a full range of banking, investment, asset management, and other financial and risk management products and services to individual consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, and large corporations. The company provides unparalleled convenience in the United States, serving approximately 70 million clients with about 3,500 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking services with approximately 59 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking, and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals worldwide. The company offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small businesses through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. Bank of America serves clients through operations in the United States, its territories, and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Footnotes
1 Year-to-date 2026 vs. fiscal year 2025; Source: BofA Securities, based on Bloomberg data as of May 20, 2026