Today Smartkarma, the leader in designing online ecosystem for independent investment insight and analytics, announces research published from Mount Everest basecamp using the Smartkarma platform. Dr. Paul M. Kitney, previously the head of strategy for Blackrock, who now publishes his highly respected “Animal Spirits” report on Smartkarma, has just released, Animal Spirits: Dodd-Frank, Corporate Bond Market Liquidity & Macro-Financial Stabilization from Mount Everest, while preparing for his ascent to the summit. 

Between 2012 and 2016, the top 12 global investment banks saw a 10% reduction in research analyst headcount (Source: Coalition, Quinlan & Associates analysis). As this shrinkage of research teams continues, many top analysts are choosing to start their own independent research firms and look to platforms like Smartkarma to publish, distribute and monetise their services. For Insight Providers, the Smartkarma platform offers an easy, intuitive way to create and distribute research efficiently and flexibly. Smartkarma’s technology enables direct interaction across the network, ensuring that no matter where they are, analysts are engaged with their colleagues and clients.

Smartkarma unlocks the true value of independent insight, uniting a fragmented marketplace and providing investors with a selection of best-in-class research on Asia, all in one convenient portal.  Smartkarma supports Independent Insight Providers in all aspects of their business, allowing them to focus on what they do best, create great research and insight, from anywhere, anytime and on any device. Smartkarma’s rapidly growing platform currently provides global investors access to over 140 independent investment insight firms, including analysts, data scientists, academics and legal professionals. Its community has written on more than 1600 companies across 15 Asian markets, offering unconflicted, on the ground coverage including small and mid-caps stocks in frontier and emerging markets, and in-depth special situations and IPO analysis. On average, 25 insights are published daily with active minute by minute discussions, where themes and ideas are debated, discussed and questioned among a community of experts, in real time.

Dr. Kitney, Insight Provider at Smartkarma says, “Publishing to the Smartkarma platform strengthens the insight I create for the market. The tools and interaction with peers and investors ensure that my research is timely, appropriate and useful for the investor community. In addition, my company and my personal brand benefit extensively from access to the global investor community that uses my research. With the flexibility that the Smartkarma platform provides, I am finally able to combine work with fulfilling a lifelong dream.”

Jon Foster, co-founder of Smartkarma continues, “We are always thrilled to see how the Smartkarma platform enables flexible working for Insight Providers so that they can choose how and where to work. We can only commend such high-altitude publishing, taking Smartkarma to the top of the world, and we wish Paul every success in his ascent.”