2012 Review: 2012: The Year of the Alternative Asset Class?

With vanilla cash asset classes like equities lacking volatility and opportunity in 2012—according to recent figures, the annual performance of Wall Street banks’ equities desks could be the worst in six years—financial firms have turned to alternative assets such as over-the-counter derivatives and commodities to diversify their revenue streams, creating a surge of demand for insight into alternative datasets and products.

This year saw numerous data deals—many involving the trading arms of