Credit Suisse has launched a set of commodity index products in response to what it sees as renewed investor interest in commodities and demand for flexibility, transparency and liquidity.

The product suite includes a new alternative benchmark, enhanced beta, alpha and absolute return products, hybrid products combining commodity and resource equities, and discretionary, fundamentally-based strategies. Clients can choose either a specific product or a basket of products which match their risk/return profile, the bank said in a statement.

Credit Suisse’s Commodities Benchmark is partly modelled on the physical commodity futures index originally formulated in 1975 by commodities specialist Bob Greer - with key aspects of that index, such as rebalancing, multi-period exposure and weighting methodology retained. Credit Suisse also intends to license the benchmark to other banks.

Credit Suisse has also launched the Credit Suisse Commodity and Resource Equity Switch, a hybrid commodities and resource equities strategy which switches between an allocation to commodities or to a related resource equity basket.

Another launch product is the Credit Suisse Momentum and Volatility Enhanced Return Strategy, which is driven by a quantitative strategy that determines long or short positions on individual commodities on the basis of market performance and realised volatility.

Credit Suisse has an alliance with Swiss commodities trader Glencore International, which trades commodities ranging from base metals to agricultural products, while also owning stakes in a number of mining operations. This alliance gives the bank “the edge in terms of accessing market information and liquidity”, according to Adam Knight, head of global commodities at Credit Suisse’s investment banking division.

Last among the bank’s new products is the Credit Suisse Glencore Active Index Strategy; here, the underlying weights of individual commodities are changed monthly, based on the views of Glencore.