Factor investing expected to rise over next five years

This article was originally published by Benefits Canada.

As yields remain low and markets remain volatile, institutional investors will increasingly turn to factor investing in the next five years, research from Invesco has found.

Seventy per cent of global respondents – which include pension funds, insurers, asset consultants, private banks and sovereign wealth funds – currently use factors when building their portfolios, with risk reduction as the primary driver, while 15 per cent are considering introducing them.

Many respondents noted they’ve invested some assets into factors as an initial trial but do plan to increase the allocations. As they seek alternative sources of returns, respondents are also likely to turn to multi-factor quantitative strategies, internal factor models and fixed income and liquid alternative products.

“Our research confirms that both popularity and desire for even greater adoption of factor investing are growing,” Bernhard Langer, chief investment officer of quantitative strategies at Invesco, said in a release. “But given the diverse nature of investors, the asset management industry needs to consciously address their clients’ needs for a tailored and consultative approach towards the implementation of factor-based strategies.”

Factor investing strategies, in which securities are chosen based on attributes that have been associated with higher returns, can vary depending on geography, the report notes. While sovereign wealth funds in Asia have turned towards internal risk factor models, German insurers are looking towards smart beta exchange-traded funds and equity factor models.

For the full story, go to Benefits Canada.

Also read:

A four-factor strategy for stable returns

Advisors miss out without market makers