Factor Investing

Lukas Smart, Head of US iShares Sustainable and Factors Product Segments, and Arun Singhal, Global Head of Index Product Management at STOXX, discuss the recent update to BlackRock’s multi-factor offering and the outlook for factor investing.

Stocks resumed losses in August after central bankers said they are not done raising interest rates as they combat record-high inflation.

Stocks jumped by the most in 20 months in July as investors focused on better-than-forecast earnings reports and on expectations that the Federal Reserve may slow down the pace of interest-rate increases.

A new white paper from Qontigo analyzes the components of a multi-factor alpha forecast in a universe of US stocks. The alpha has enhanced market returns over the last 20 years, with 2021 showing the best annual results.

The recent launch of the STOXX U.S. Equity Factor Index, which underlies the iShares U.S. Equity Factor ETF (LRGF), highlights the real-world performance benefits of a factor-based approach that seeks to manage risk relative to a capitalization-weighted benchmark.

Stocks tumbled in June, with the STOXX® Global 1800 index sliding into a bear market, on concern the world’s major economies may be headed for a recession while central banks are fighting runaway inflation.

ESG and climate metrics can be used as signals to generate alpha either on a stand-alone basis or to strengthen traditional style factors, BlackRock’s Andrew Ang explained during the Qontigo Investment Intelligence Summit.

A rebound in the month’s last week helped the STOXX® Global 1800 index record a small positive return for May, as investors continue to assess the impact on markets of rising interest rates in the US and elsewhere.

The STOXX Equity Factor Indices offer diversified exposure to five equity risk premia factors – Quality, Value, Momentum, Low Size and Low Volatility — through an enhanced multifactor approach designed for core portfolio allocation. Powered by STOXX’s indexing capabilities and Axioma’s risk models and portfolio optimizer, the indices deliver balanced, well-researched style factor exposures seeking long-term outperformance.

The Index Industry Association (IIA) provides education and advocacy on behalf of independent index providers worldwide, CEO Rick Redding explains to Qontigo’s blog. With the transformation of the role and shape of indices in full swing, he sees huge possibilities for the industry and for investors ahead – as well as key challenges.

Stocks tumbled in April by the most since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as investors’ expectations grew that the Federal Reserve and other central banks will need to raise interest rates faster and higher to fight inflation.

Stocks rebounded in March from two months of losses, helped by expectations of a resolution to the war in Ukraine. Basic-resources and energy companies paced gains for a second consecutive month.