Europanel Research and Alternative Asset Management (ERAAM) has been assigned an 'IP2' Investment Process rating for its alternative multi-management investment process.

The Investment Process Rating is a new rating methodology that has just been launched by Fitch.
 
In order to assign this 'IP2' rating, Fitch took into account the following criteria:

the long experience and extensive technical expertise of ERAAM's investment teams in the field of alternative asset management
the quality of the quantitative tools used for building portfolios and monitoring risk
 
ERAAM has differentiated itself from its competitors by its exclusive focus on funds managed by European management companies, generally regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) or the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). The investment process relies on qualitative research, drawing on the proven skills of ERAAM's portfolio managers and on the network of European contacts built up by the company's founders. The emphasis is on quickly identifying new talents in alternative management and investing in mid-sized hedge funds, some of which are specialised in niche strategies. 
 
Fitch Investment Process ratings are on a scale of 'IP1' to 'IP5', 'IP1' being the highest. The suffixes '+' or '-' may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within the major rating categories, but are not added to the 'IP1' and 'IP5' rating categories. Ratings within the IP2 category correspond to
'strong' investment processes.
 
ERAAM' rating report and the new Investment Process Rating Criteria Report are available on the agency's website, www.fitchratings.com