In 2005 Fitch Group acquired Algorithmics, undertaken with a view to extending its quantitative risk management capabilities.

FORBES

The screen did its job of finding stocks with low quantitative risk.

FORBES: Best Buy Looks Like A Bargain But Look Again Behind The Numbers

For instance, in 2002 Moody's acquired KMV, the global leader in provision of objective and quantitative credit risk assessment tools.

FORBES

Moody 's ( MCO - news - people ) acquired KMV, the global leader in provision of objective and quantitative credit risk assessment tools.

FORBES: Rating Agencies Should Get A Death Sentence

Their quantitative measures of risk saw more demand after Hurricane Andrew ten years ago.

ECONOMIST: Reinsurance risks

Now consider this: the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing III tactic explicitly targets the "risk free interest rate" - aiming to set it at a historic low, and thus influencing all related interest rates downwards.

BBC: Business

Realize that some risk factors will not be apparent when basic quantitative analysis is performed.

FORBES: Best Buy Looks Like A Bargain But Look Again Behind The Numbers

And a fifth risk is a looming currency war, fueled by simultaneous Quantitative Easing by central bankers.

FORBES: Can President Obama Save Globalization?

Globally some of the liquidity conditions that supported risk appetite, including central bank policies such as guarantees and quantitative easing, show no signs of being removed.

FORBES: Doctor Doom

Along with the quantitative and valuation analysis, they also look at: key success factors, key risk factors, the competitive landscape, insiders, institutional holdings, what type of institutions are holding the stock, and catalysts that might drive the stock up (or down).

FORBES: Quant / Value Stocks From My Class at Ross