Alpha, Omicron: Why?
Over the past week, global financial markets have been roiled by the discovery of the “Omicron” COVID-19 mutation. It’s far too soon to know how much this new variant will impact the world’s economy—but its discovery suggests an interesting thought experiment in, of all things, corporate governance. The experiment is this: suppose Omicron turns out…
What’s the Role of the S&P 500 in the Global Opportunity Set?
As Asian investors consider potential shifts in inflation and macro trends, could a closer look at U.S. markets through the lens of the S&P 500 help them identify potential opportunities abroad? Hamish Preston and Jason Ye of S&P DJI join Erik Norland of CME Group to explore the potential risk/return and diversification benefits of U.S….
Using Index Icons to Track Potential Equity Opportunities
How are investors using the S&P 500 and DJIA to measure and assess potential opportunities in U.S. equities? Garrett Glawe and Jason Ye of S&P DJI join Michele Barlow of State Street Global Advisors to explore how investors are putting these index icons to work in Asia. Learn more: https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/education/article/comparing-iconic-indices-the-sp-500-and-djia/
Why Benchmarks Matter
I recently had the pleasure of participating in a webinar on the basics of passive management. A portfolio manager in the audience posed an important question which I’ll paraphrase: “If my goal is to earn a return of X%, why is an index’s performance relevant?” Otherwise said, if I want to earn a particular absolute…
The Decline of the Index Effect
The growth of passive investing has spurred suggestions that stock returns may be influenced by a so-called “index effect,” as trading by index funds responds to changes in index membership. If this were true, stocks added to the index would initially outperform amid buying pressure, while index deletions would underperform. Our recent paper—“What Happened to…
The Importance of Order
We all know that stock market returns vary substantially over time. For example, the S&P 500®’s performance between 1981 and 2020 ranged from -37% (2008) to +38% (1995). The market’s compound annual return for this period was 11.5%. Investors, however, live with actual portfolio values, not abstract rates of return. Obviously, and other things equal,…
Headwinds on the Active Horizon
Active managers’ performance was disappointing in 2020, despite the market’s heightened volatility. As the market continues to march upward in 2021, it’s natural to wonder if current conditions are favorable for stock pickers. We expect active managers’ difficulties to persist. We can think of volatility in terms of its components: dispersion and correlation. Active managers…
The S&P 500 and DJIA: Divergent Paths to Similar Results
The S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average® (DJIA) are two of the best known and most used indices in the world. They are both designed to represent U.S. large-cap companies. As we detailed in a recent paper, the S&P 500 and DJIA have similar long-term risk/return profiles. As of April 30, 2021, the…
Riding the Value Wave
U.S. equity markets seemed to undergo a fundamental change of direction in September of last year. Exhibit 1 illustrates the shift; our growth indices, which had outperformed value handily through the end of August, have lagged ever since. The spreads between growth and value are even greater when we compute them using our Pure Growth…
The Potential Value of U.S. Equity Allocation to Chinese Investors
The Chinese financial market has continued to evolve and mature over the past decade. More and more domestic Chinese investors are starting to take note of investment opportunities from global markets. What are the potential benefits of allocating globally for Chinese investors? In this blog, we will use the CSI 300 Index as a proxy…
