Algorithmic trading has started to adapt to a world of lower leverage and trading volumes and higher volatility. Many market participants dropped algorithmic strategies in the wake of Lehman Brothers’ collapse, but the trading style is in demand from the buyside.

Some traders are embracing more aggressive strategies that get them in and out of the market faster. Others are using strategies that arbitrage an exchange-traded fund against a basket of its components. However, the changes are mostly small tweaks to the system designed to make it more relevant in today's environment.