The history of Wall Street can be traced back hundreds of years. A look back through this history will reveal many changes that have significantly improved the market by increasing efficiency, information transfer and investor access. These improvements have come largely as a result of the introduction of new technology and innovation, which have always been hallmarks of the industry.

While the stock market has been around for centuries, it was historically only an investment vehicle for the very wealthy or for investment professionals. This changed with the advent of deferred retirement plans, which introduced stock market investments into the retirement planning process of the average American family. As investment in the market has grown, investors have demanded an increasing variety of investment options. In response, many new investment vehicles have evolved, including mutual funds and, more recently, hedge funds.

Among the many finance firms in the market today, there are countless different philosophies about how to best make trading decisions. Within this universe of options, Two Sigma was built around the principles of discipline, measurement and technology. The founders of Two Sigma believe that better technologies can give investors an edge in the increasingly competitive financial markets. It is this belief that drives our continued investment in, and development of, new technology.