Disclosures
Readers of Financial Research Should Maintain a Healthy Dose of Skepticism Our firm mission is dedicated to investor education and we often highlight and discuss hypothetical results associated with our own research and/or [...]
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A Deep Dive into the Low Beta Premium
The superior performance of low-volatility stocks was first documented in the literature in the 1970s—by Fischer Black in 1972, among others —even before the size and value premiums were “discovered.” The low-volatility anomaly has been shown to exist in equity markets around the world. Interestingly, this finding is true not only for stocks but for bonds as well. In other words, it has been pervasive...but
Factor Investing Premiums and the Economic Cycle
The main takeaway is that because factor timing is a strategy “fraught with opportunity,” investors should accept the fact that all risk strategies go through extended periods of poor (and unforecastable) periods of poor performance. As Blitz noted: “Even though investor sentiment may be more effective than the other metrics, its discriminatory power remains limited because expected factor premiums are still positive in all instances.” Thus, the prudent strategy is one of diversifying across many unique sources of risk so that not all of your risk eggs end up in the wrong basket at the wrong time.
ETF Tax Efficiency isn’t Always Efficient
Compared to mutual funds or separately managed accounts, ANY benefit from redeeming in-kind is a bonus. That being said, not all ETFs and situations are created equal when it comes to tax efficiency, and the "golden rule" always applies - when given the option, the IRS wants to create scenarios where they receive tax dollars now instead of later. Here are some big-ticket items that cause inefficiencies (read as taxes…), many related to the “golden rule” above.
A History of Wealth Creation in the U.S. Equity Markets
Hendrik Bessembinder contributes to the literature on the returns to public equity investment diversification benefits with his study “Wealth Creation in the US Public Stock Markets 1926-2019,” published in the April 2021 issue of The [...]
The Active vs Passive: Smart Factors, Market Portfolio, or Both?
Matúš PadyšákQuantpedia.comA version of this paper can be found hereWant to read our summaries of academic finance papers? Check out our Academic Research Insight category Abstract While there may be debates about passive and active investing, [...]
Leading EMH Economist John Cochrane Suggests that Advisor Fees Might be Justified
Sorry for the clickbait, but Hoover Institute fellow and “Grumpy Economist" John Cochrane's answers to the seemingly benign question, "How should long-term investors form portfolios," is too important to both advisors and academics to overlook. [...]
Private Equity: Is There Anything Special There?
As the following table demonstrates, since its inception in the 1970s, the private equity industry has grown significantly. According to Preqin data, there are now more than 18,000 private equity funds, with assets under management [...]
The Costs and Benefits of Tax-Loss-Harvesting (TLH) Versus an ETF
Recently, we have experienced a rush of questions from investors/clients who seek our opinion on direct indexing/tax-loss-harvesting ("TLH") and how it compares to the potential tax benefits of an ETF. Unfortunately, there is no easy [...]
Selling a Business? Here are 8 Ways to Minimize Your Taxes:
When an owner sells their business, the IRS and state taxing authorities will be there to take as much of it as they lawfully can. This one sale can lead to the largest tax payment [...]