Bangkok--28 Dec--IR network
Country Group Securities (CGS) today announces a partnership with Smartkarma, Asia's largest provider of independent investment research. Country Group Securities will be offering their domestic institutional investor clients access to Smartkarma's independent research platform in a bid to be compliant with the new European regulations, MiFID II.
As asset managers around the world prepare to comply with MiFID II in January 2018, one of Thailand's largest securities firms, Country Group Securities, has forged a collaboration with Smartkarma to provide Thai domestic asset managers independent, differentiated and unbundled research that will be compliant with new regulations coming out of Europe. By partnering with Smartkarma, Country Group will provide their clients access to an entire digital platform of Asia wide research insights, produced by more than 400 independent analysts.
Groundbreakingly, Country Group Securities have also been able to draw on the premium services of Smartkarma Insight Provider A. Stotz Research to provide a fully revamped and independently powered Thai equities research product which will be made available via Smartkarma. A.Stotz Research integrates their proprietary world class benchmarking methodology to drive new insight into Thai equities.
Thanachote Rungsitivat, Director from Country Group Securities, said "Our decision to partner with Smartkarma and A.Stotz Research has been driven by many factors including new MiFID II regulations. We see that our clients will benefit greatly from the independent and high quality insight provided by Smartkarma's network and our own re-imagined equity research thanks to the services of Smartkarma provider, A.Stotz Research. As first movers in Thailand, we want to show our clients that our focus is to add value in a range of areas, whilst keeping up with global best practice regulations. Smartkarma aligns very well with enabling us to offer transparent pricing on research and trading."
Smartkarma has recently secured its Series B round of funding, led by Sequoia Capital India, one of the world's leading technology venture capital firms. Smartkarma's model offers value to both, independent research analysts and institutional investors. Smartkarma has grown rapidly across Asia and has recently announced their expansion into the UK and Europe with the opening of a London office.
Smartkarma Co-Founder and CEO, Raghav Kapoor, says "We are excited to be working with Country Group Securities and providing their clients with curated content that best serves their individual needs. Country Group Securities are firmly ahead of the curve providing their Thai clients with MiFID II compliant insight. We are delighted that by working with A.Stotz Research, Country Group can combine this with independently powered Thai research, all via the Smartkarma platform."