China scrutinizes quant strategies as market weakness stokes public anger

News Snapshot:

As China’s stock market struggles to recover, regulators have started to probe some hedge funds and brokerages on quantitative trading strategies amid a growing outcry against a sector able to profit from share price falls and volatility, sources said. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has checked with several major brokers over the past weeks about short-selling activities and trading strategies of their quant clients - funds that trade rapidly using derivatives and data-driven computer models, two people with direct knowledge of the probe said. Separately, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, under the CSRC’s guidance, have sought information from...