Knight Capital expands

Greenwich-based Knight Capital Group Inc. has expanded its mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities capabilities to add an arm in commercial real estate finance.

The division will be headed by new hires Barry Funt and Winston van Buitenen as the specialty”™s managing directors. Knight provides buy-side firms with research, sales and trading across a broad range of fixed income securities.

“Barry and Winston bring considerable experience to Knight in the commercial real estate market,” said Ronak Khichadia, managing director and global head of mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities at Knight Libertas, of which Knight Capital Group is a subsidiary.

Khichadia said the new commercial real estate finance team will leverage Knight’s institutional fixed income platform to originate real estate loans for leased-backed and project financings of all types.

“The team will provide creative structuring advice on transactions that seek to achieve both the economic and qualitative project goals of participating landlords and tenants,” said Khichadia.