Measuring Home Prices
Compared to stock and bond markets, where prices update continuously throughout the trading day, the value of residential real estate is hard to observe; and while one buyer’s shares of stock XYZ are interchangeable with another’s, houses are not similarly fungible. Yet the value of an investor’s house is often a significant component of his…
Indexing Bond and Commodity Markets in the World of the Upside Down
In the 80s nostalgia Netflix hit series “Stranger Things,” the town of Hawkins is haunted by an alternate world beneath. The protagonists battle monsters in what they call the upside down. For the first few seasons, the upside down wreaks havoc on just a few residents of Hawkins. By the last season, no one is…
What’s in a U.S. Equity Index?
2022 was the worst year for U.S. equity indices since 2008’s Global Financial Crisis, with the S&P 500® entering a bear market and declining 18% in 2022. Despite the market blues, there were some relative winners: the S&P DJI U.S. Core Indices beat their MSCI counterparts last year, driven by differences in their methodologies. Below…
2023 Has Already Been Trepidatious
A sizzling start for Canadian equities in 2023 found itself fizzling as March began. Despite having a return of as much as 7% in late January/early February, through March 17, 2023, the S&P/TSX Composite Index was up 0.7% YTD. In line with historical trends, the S&P/TSX Composite Low Volatility Index underperformed, declining 0.1%. Volatility rose…
SPIVA Canada Scorecard 2022: Country, Currency and Concentration Contexts
Since 2004, our SPIVA® Canada Scorecards have shown that a majority of actively managed Canadian equity funds typically underperform the S&P/TSX Composite Index. However, according to the recently published SPIVA Canada Year-End 2022 Scorecard, the annual underperformance rate dropped to the best result we have seen since 2015: just 52% of Canadian Equity managers lagged…
2023 GICS Changes: S&P Global 1200 Impact Analysis
Revisions to the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) structure are primed to go into effect after the close of business on Friday, March 17, 2023. While the changes are not as extensive as in previous iterations, they affect the GICS structure at all levels and this article examines the impact of the changes on the…
A Dynamic Approach to Volatility Management
How can indices seek to maintain a pre-defined level of implied volatility? Look inside the S&P 500 Futures Defined Volatility Indices, a dynamic, rules-based approach to volatility management helping market participants align investments with risk appetites systematically.
GICS Changes Are upon Us
As time passes, we draw ever closer to the date of the GICS® changes scheduled to take effect after the market close on March 17, 2023. There are five changes being implemented, some of which will move companies among sectors and others that will move companies within sectors. Recent blogs have announced these changes: GICS…
Will the S&P GSCI Electric Vehicle Metals Outperform with Copper Leading the Way?
Recent bullish fundamentals appear to be falling in line for the electric vehicle metals space. A decade of weak metals prices has led to underinvestment by miners and refiners, as private investment and bank financing support waned. In 2022, S&P Global released a comprehensive report on copper outlining the current trending Rocky Road supply scenario…
S&P U.S. Indices Year-End 2022: Analyzing Relative Returns to CRSP
The S&P U.S. Equity Indices aim to represent and measure the performance of distinct market cap segments of the investable U.S. equity market. The S&P Composite 1500®, which consists of the S&P 500®, S&P MidCap 400® and S&P SmallCap 600®, is constructed differently compared to other indices with similar objectives. These nuances can impact index…
