THEAM

‘Quantamental’ is a relatively new portmanteau word in asset management lingo. Its creation is indicative of a trend in our industry. Quantamental is the fruit of the marriage of the quantitative and fundamental (also known as judgmental) disciplines in managing money.

Evolution of the ETF market, impact of the regulations, ongoing development at BNP Paribas Asset Management...Isabelle Bourcier, Head of quantitative and index management at BNP Paribas Asset Management shares its view with Next-Finance.

Robert Haugen, who discovered the low-volatility anomaly in 1972, wrote numerous articles and books to try to popularise what he called the ‘hidden factor’. To some extent, it was only the advent of smart beta investment strategies that turned his dream into reality, as low volatility is central to the smart beta approach.

Momentum is unloved: being a good follower is rarely seen as a strength, and few asset managers would brag about using momentum as an investment factor, even though they know that ‘the trend is your friend’. Part of this unpopularity comes from the fact that momentum is a purely behavioural factor: only human irrationality can explain it, and we are not at ease with our own shortfalls.

Quality is positive: it is about good companies that are efficient at managing their businesses profitably, creating shareholder value and being rewarded with above average returns. Yet, quality is not always easy to recognise or measure. Here are a few pointers for avoiding some common misconceptions and mistakes.