They are on the downswing. Their good times were 3-5 years ago. US traders have gone from about a dozen a few years ago to only 2 now. They were very successful at program-type trading but have not really evolved or produced anything new in the past few years as their margins and volume (relative to competition) have gone down the tubes. All top traders and management have either been fired or quit and morale there is at an alltime low (or so I have heard...)
In fact it is hilarious looking at their website that someone else posted. The traders they show in those pictures - 1 was fired and the other 2 unceremoniously quit (again - so I heard). Even look at what they put forth as their proud "Cooper Neff Insight" magazine. The last issue was posted as of Q3 2002! Find me another semi-professional company website that has not been updated in close to 2 years!
top guys cashed out and formed gamma investors: www.gammainvestors.com They have a private equity fund, FoF's, and proprietary quant trading. Most of the money is the original partners, but they I believe they have accepted some institutional money....
what a bunch of scrubs I remember in 1993 or so when they invaded the bond options at the CBOT They were such pricks NOONE for a while even wanted to fill their orders in the futures pit......it was such a joke
I'll add this, used to work for some guys that previously were at Cooper Neff. One day they had 20 guys on the CBOE floor, then, let's just say they got screwed by the head of the CBOE group, and the following morning he had to manage ALL the floor positions cuz everyone else quit !!!!!!!! Doubt that guys is still with them, but he was a TOTAL SLIMEBALL. Vega