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Case study
Publication date: 20 January 2017

Richard B. Evans and Rick Green

Towers Watson (TW) has always conducted its own research into alternative approaches to market cap investing. A senior investment consultant with TW, impressed by a recent…

Abstract

Towers Watson (TW) has always conducted its own research into alternative approaches to market cap investing. A senior investment consultant with TW, impressed by a recent presentation by the CIO of Research Affiliates (RA) about an innovative investing concept called the “Fundamental Index methodology,” thinks it might be an important innovation in applying nonmarket cap approaches. But he has some concerns about the approach and whether or not it would be appropriate for TW's clients who depend on the firm to keep them on the cutting edge of institutional investing.

Details

Darden Business Publishing Cases, vol. no.
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2474-7890
Published by: University of Virginia Darden School Foundation

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2019

Rasha Tawfiq Abadi and Florinda Silva

This study aims to investigate the performance of fundamental weighted portfolios (using sales, cash flows, dividends, book values and a composite of all these variables), an…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the performance of fundamental weighted portfolios (using sales, cash flows, dividends, book values and a composite of all these variables), an equal weighted portfolio and a smoothed cap-weighted (CW) portfolio in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets. The performance of these portfolios is compared with that of a CW portfolio for the period 2005 to 2015.

Design/methodology/approach

The portfolios are formed using different concentration levels, different construction schemes and different sub-regions. The performance is assessed using a large set of risk-adjusted performance measures, including more robust measures in the context of multi-factor models, such as the Fama and French (1993) three-factor model, the Fama and French (2015) five-factor model and a seven-factor model.

Findings

The results show that the fundamental portfolios, with the exception of the sales portfolio, underperform the CW portfolio using either the traditional or more robust risk-adjusted performance measures. The underperformance of the fundamental portfolios is found to be robust using different concentration levels, different construction schemes and different sub-regions. The results also show that the equal weighted portfolio outperforms the CW portfolio using traditional risk-adjusted measures. However, after controlling for additional risk factors, this outperformance disappears.

Practical implications

The failure of fundamental indexation in the emerging markets could help the researchers and the academics to search for the best weighting method that could be used as an alternative to the CW indexation method.

Originality/value

The results of the study add evidence to the debatable propositions on the performance of fundamental portfolios in emerging markets. Furthermore, the findings may help domestic and international investors, practitioners and decision-makers to deepen their knowledge in terms of the best portfolio construction scheme in the MENA region.

Details

International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8394

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Article
Publication date: 23 June 2021

Santosh Kumar and Ranjit Tiwari

This study aims to compare the fundamental indexation (FI) portfolio vis-à-vis the cap-weighted index (CWI). It also explored the return-generating attributes of the FI portfolios.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to compare the fundamental indexation (FI) portfolio vis-à-vis the cap-weighted index (CWI). It also explored the return-generating attributes of the FI portfolios.

Design/methodology/approach

This study extracted relevant data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy’s Prowess database from March 1996 to March 2017 from a sample of National Stock Exchange (NSE) 500 companies. The FI portfolios were constructed with First_50 and Next_50 stocks using the latest and five years of trailing average aggregations. Further, the regression technique was used to identify the return-generating attributes of FI portfolios.

Findings

It was found that the FI portfolios based on First_50 and Next_50 stocks outperformed the CWI (i.e. NSE_First_50 and NSE_Next_50) in the Indian capital market, and between the two, the FI portfolios based on Next_50 stocks were superior to the FI portfolios based on First_50 stocks. The cross-sectional superiority of FI portfolios is obvious if they are sorted according to four fundamentals, namely, total income, sales, operating cash flows and profit before depreciation interest tax and amortisation. The return-generating process of FI portfolios is well-explained by market premium followed by value premium and investment premium.

Practical implications

This study may enable portfolio managers and investors to measure FI portfolios’ superiority in the Indian capital market and identify the return-generating attributes of FI portfolios so that the loadings can be switched amongst different priced factors for higher yield. Further, this study extends the FI literature, providing evidence from one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Originality/value

To the best of the knowledge, this is amongst the first few studies to explore the performance of FI portfolios vis-à-vis CWIs in India, and to use Fama and French (2015) asset pricing models to understand the return-generating attributes of FI portfolios. It is also novel in the sense that it considers the FI portfolios for a longer duration, predating 1997 and coinciding with the inception of CWIs, namely, NSE_First_50 (inception: 1995) and NSE_Next_50 (inception: 1996), reducing the apprehensions of data-snooping biases.

Details

Accounting Research Journal, vol. 35 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1030-9616

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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 31 May 2014

Bohyun Yoon and Young-Min Choi

There have been several studies of alternative equity index strategies which suggest better investment opportunities with higher risk adjusted return pointing out empirical…

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Abstract

There have been several studies of alternative equity index strategies which suggest better investment opportunities with higher risk adjusted return pointing out empirical evidence of inefficient risk-return trade-off implied in the market-cap weighted index. Commercial products based on these strategies, regarded as passive equity strategies, become more popular in the U.S. and European stock markets. We investigates whether these strategies are also valid in Korean stock market and our empirical results add support to their efficacy.

From Fama-French 3-factor analysis, we find that the excess return of alternative equity index is attributed to market, size and value factors and it does not show a significantly positive alpha. Even without positive alpha, however, these strategies are valuable to investors in the sense that they offer opportunities to fully exploit size and value premium with long-only portfolios. The advantage of these strategies is more straightforward recalling the fact that rebalancing of Fama-French factor portfolios involves short-sale and high turnover.

Details

Journal of Derivatives and Quantitative Studies, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2713-6647

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Article
Publication date: 7 August 2009

Graeme Newell

Socially responsible property investment (SRPI) has taken on increased significance in recent years, as property investors have given an increased priority to environmental…

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Abstract

Purpose

Socially responsible property investment (SRPI) has taken on increased significance in recent years, as property investors have given an increased priority to environmental, social and governance issues in their property investment decision making. The purpose of this paper is to establish SRPI performance indices for UK property companies and empirically benchmark their risk‐adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits over recent years.

Design/methodology/approach

Using five socially responsible investment (SRI) performance eligibility criteria, the UK property companies contributing to these SRI measures are identified. These UK property companies are used to establish a number of SRPI market cap‐weighted performance indices over 2003‐2008. These SRPI performance indices are used to assess the risk‐adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of UK SRPI property companies.

Findings

This paper objectively identifies the UK property companies actively involved in SRPI and finds that the UK SRPI property companies delivered superior risk‐adjusted returns than the overall UK property companies sector, with this performance being achieved with no loss of portfolio diversification benefits.

Originality/value

Much of the previous SRPI research has focused on the broad concept of SRPI with no empirical analysis. This paper is the first attempt to rigorously and empirically assess the risk‐adjusted performance of UK SRPI property companies by establishing SRPI performance indices for UK property companies. Given the increasing significance of SRPI, this research enables empirically validated, more informed and practical investment decision making regarding the performance‐based supporting of the SRPI agenda by property investors.

Details

Journal of Property Investment & Finance, vol. 27 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-578X

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Book part
Publication date: 26 February 2016

Noel Cassar and Simon Grima

The recent development of the European debt sovereign crisis showed that sovereign debt is not “risk free.” The traditional index bond management used during the last two decades…

Abstract

Introduction

The recent development of the European debt sovereign crisis showed that sovereign debt is not “risk free.” The traditional index bond management used during the last two decades such as the market-capitalization weighting scheme has been severely called into question. In order to overcome these drawbacks, alternative weighting schemes have recently prompted attention, both from academic researchers and from market practitioners. One of the key developments was the introduction of passive funds using economic fundamental indicators.

Purpose

In this chapter, the authors introduced models with economic drivers with an aim of investigating whether the fundamental approaches outperformed the other models on risk-adjusted returns and on other terms.

Methodology

The authors did this by constructing five portfolios composed of the Eurozone sovereigns bonds. The models are the Market-Capitalization RP, GDP model RP, Ratings RP model, Fundamental-Ranking RP, and Fundamental-Weighted RP models. These models were created exclusively for this chapter. Both Fundamental models are using a range of 10 country fundamentals. A variation from other studies is that this dissertation applied the risk parity concept which is an allocation technique that aims to equalize risk across different assets. This concept has been applied by assuming the credit default swap as proxy for sovereign credit risk. The models were run using the Generalized Reduced Gradient (GRG) method as the optimization model, together with the Lagrange Multipliers as techniques and the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions. This led to the comparison of all the models mentioned above in terms of performance, risk-adjusted returns, concentration, and weighted average ratings.

Findings

By analyzing the whole period between 2006 and 2014, it was found that both the fundamental models gave very appealing results in terms of risk-adjusted returns. The best results were returned by the Fundamental-Ranking RP model followed by the Fundamental-Weighting RP model. However, better results for the mixed performance and risk-adjusted returns were achieved on a yearly basis and when sub-dividing the whole period in three equal periods. Moreover, the authors concluded that over the long term, the fundamental bond indexing triumphed over the other approaches by offering superior return and risk characteristics. Thus, one can use the fundamental indexation as an alternative to other traditional models.

Details

Contemporary Issues in Bank Financial Management
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-000-8

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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 May 2023

Md. Bokhtiar Hasan, Md Mamunur Rashid, Md. Naiem Hossain, Mir Mahmudur Rahman and Md. Ruhul Amin

This research explores the spillovers and portfolio implications for green bonds and environmental, social and governance (ESG) assets in the context of the rapidly expanding…

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Abstract

Purpose

This research explores the spillovers and portfolio implications for green bonds and environmental, social and governance (ESG) assets in the context of the rapidly expanding trend in green finance investments and the need for a green recovery in the post-COVID-19 era.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilizes Diebold and Yilmaz’s (2014) spillover method and portfolio strategies (hedge ratio, optimal weights and hedging effectiveness) for the data starting from February 29, 2012, to March 14, 2022.

Findings

The study’s findings reveal that the lower volatility spillover is evidenced between the green bonds and ESG stocks during tranquil and turbulent periods (e.g. COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine War). Furthermore, hedging costs are lower both in normal times and during economic slumps. Investing the bulk of the funds in green bonds makes it possible to achieve maximum hedging effectiveness between the S&P green bond (GB) and the S&P 500 ESG.

Practical implications

Both investors and policymakers may use these findings to make wise investment and policy choices to achieve post-COVID environmental sustainability.

Originality/value

Unlike previous research, this is the first to explore the interconnectedness among the major global and country-specific green bonds and ESG assets. The major findings of this study about the lower volatility spillovers and hedging costs between green bonds and ESG assets during the tranquil and turbulent periods may contribute to the post-COVID investment portfolio for environmental sustainability.

Details

Fulbright Review of Economics and Policy, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2635-0173

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Article
Publication date: 15 June 2010

Abhay Kaushik, Anita Pennathur and Scott Barnhart

Market‐timing skills of fund managers are an important issue for both mutual fund investors and researchers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the market‐timing skills and…

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Abstract

Purpose

Market‐timing skills of fund managers are an important issue for both mutual fund investors and researchers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the market‐timing skills and determinants of performance of sector funds across business cycles to see whether sector fund managers exhibit different market‐timing abilities across business cycle.

Design/methodology/approach

Single factor, five‐factor conditional and five‐factor unconditional models were used to estimate the initial results for market timing of sector funds across the business cycle. Monthly data such as returns, Fama and French factors, and fund specific variables of sector funds from January 1990 to December 2005 were used to estimate initial and cross‐sectional results. Cross‐sectional analyses were done using two approaches: the traditional approach where alpha, the dependent variable, is estimated assuming that betas of predicting variables remain constant over time, and where alpha is estimated assuming that betas do change over time. Estimated alpha was estimated as a function of fund specific variables to examine which fund specific variables influence fund abnormal performance across the overall, recessionary, and expansionary periods.

Findings

The benchmark used in the analysis (S&P vs sector specific) was shown to greatly influence the results. Sector funds demonstrate positive timing ability during recessions and negative timing ability during expansions when using the S&P 500 as the benchmark, but this timing ability disappears when sector specific benchmarks are used. As a whole, sector funds exhibit significant negative timing ability across all stages of the business cycle. When using the more appropriate industry specific benchmarks, only the utility sector demonstrates significant timing ability over both stages of the business cycle.

Research limitations/implications

Only two recessions are observed over the period of study. More recession periods would have given a clearer picture of findings across business cycle.

Practical implications

This paper offers readers an insight into the market‐timing abilities of sector fund managers across the business cycles. Investors can use the findings of this paper to develop hedging strategies especially when the economy is going through recession.

Originality/value

This paper covers the longest period of sector funds market timing and is the only one that evaluates sector funds across business cycle.

Details

Managerial Finance, vol. 36 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4358

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Article
Publication date: 19 July 2009

Wilson Sy

The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach to design a national default option to maximize retirement savings in defined contribution superannuation, using a…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach to design a national default option to maximize retirement savings in defined contribution superannuation, using a proportionate shareholding approach (PSA) which minimizes total cost of investing for all investors.

Design/methodology/approach

Through analytic modelling, the author shows how transaction costs in combination with size effects and agency incentives have limited the ability of professional managers to use arbitrage and active investment to create a price‐efficient market. Statistical models show how investors would experience difficulties in understanding fund performances due to inherent noise in the data. The models suggest financial intermediation has created an information asymmetry which reduces the effectiveness of market competition to lower costs in superannuation.

Findings

The authors find that the PSA is a collective optimal strategy and it is also an individual optimal strategy, because of the presence of informational inefficiency. Passive investing does not need commercial indices. PSA is more passive and flexible than standard indexing, and is fully‐scalable and available to all investors.

Research limitations/implications

Professional investment managers have not beaten the market, not because the market is efficient, but because it is inefficient due to a market failure to recognise and resolve principal‐agent conflicts of interest.

Practical implications

The proposed national default option has the potential to substantially increase national savings through low‐cost superannuation.

Originality/value

The paper provides a new rationale for passive investing based on the hypothesis of market inefficiency. It also provides the first formal proof of the “Cost matters theorem.” The proposed idea of a national default option will create a simple, understandable and cost‐effective alternative for all workers and will also provide a performance benchmark to encourage the development of a more competitive and efficient superannuation market.

Details

Accounting Research Journal, vol. 22 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1030-9616

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Article
Publication date: 1 January 2002

Javier Estrada and J.Ignacio Peña

Between 1988 and 1994 ten European countries introduced or modified their regulations on insider trading. We evaluate in this article the impact of such regulatory changes on the…

Abstract

Between 1988 and 1994 ten European countries introduced or modified their regulations on insider trading. We evaluate in this article the impact of such regulatory changes on the risk, return, and some other characteristics of these ten markets. After extensive testing, we find that the evidence suggests that these regulations have had little (if any) impact on the market characteristics we examine, and briefly speculate about the reasons that justify our findings.

Details

Studies in Economics and Finance, vol. 20 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1086-7376

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