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What is Statistical Arbitrage?
Statistical arbitrage is a trading strategy that seeks to exploit pricing inefficiencies in financial markets using statistical analysis. The strategy involves identifying two or more securities that have a high degree of correlation and then looking for temporary divergences in their prices.
In a statistical arbitrage trade, a trader may simultaneously buy one security and sell another security, betting that the price relationship between the two will revert to its historical average.
For example, a trader might buy a stock and sell short a similar stock in the same industry, expecting that the prices will eventually converge.
The success of statistical arbitrage relies on identifying and exploiting pricing anomalies that exist for only a short period of time, often only a few seconds or less. To do this, traders use sophisticated statistical models and computer algorithms to analyze large amounts of data in real-time.
Statistical arbitrage can be applied to a wide range of financial assets, including stocks, bonds, futures, and currencies. The strategy is often used by hedge funds and other institutional investors, who have the resources and expertise to develop and execute complex trading models.
Statistical arbitrage is not without risk, and traders must be prepared to manage the…