In this new episode portfolio manager Vania Sulman explains how the tracking error of an Active Quant approach is managed over the long term, and explains the process of overweights and underweights versus the benchmark. She also talks about how Active Quant differs from an enhanced-indexing approach.…

Investing is evolving fast, and next-gen signals are at the forefront of that evolution. But what arethey? In the sixth episode of this new series on quant investing, Iman Honarvar Gheysary returns to unpack these developments for us.Bởi Robeco

The first 100 days of Donald Trump’s return to the White House have been marked by sweeping change: executive actions, heightened trade tensions, and growing uncertainty seem to be the new normal. In this episode, we evaluate how these early policy moves by the new US administration are reshaping the global economic landscape, and what it all means…

‘In times of turmoil you see where the crowded trades are’, says strategist Martin van Vliet. He explains what happened on the bond market that made Trump blink, and discusses where safe havens can be found when US Treasuries crumble.Bởi Robeco

AI is everywhere – but what does it actually mean for quant investing? In the fifth episode of this new series on quant investing, we speak with Iman Honarvar, Senior Quant Researcher at Robeco, who shares how AI is used today. From scalable infrastructure to real-world applications, Iman reveals how Robeco has built a foundation to make AI truly w…

President Trump blinked and markets worldwide rally. Is this an opportunity to take risk off the table or are we back in ‘risk on territory’? China faces even higher tariffs, while the historically rock-solid safe-haven status of the US dollar starts to show some cracks.Bởi Robeco

In this episode we cover five of the key questions clients have dropped with us over the past few days when Trump’s tariffs wreaked havoc on financial markets.Bởi Robeco

This week’s paradox: ‘we’re witnessing a very significant market event on something that we all saw coming’, says Joshua Crabb, portfolio manager based in Hongkong.Bởi Robeco

You see indiscriminative selling happening now among hedge funds. First they sell what they could, now they sell whatever they can.Bởi Robeco

Broad factor groups help explain long-term returns and, indeed, form the framework for quantitative stock selection models. In the fourth of this new series on Quant Investing we meet again with Matthais Hanauer, researcher and director at Robeco, to find out more about the perfect quant stockBởi Robeco

Global markets are reeling from unpredictable US policy shifts – from tariff wars to geopolitical moves – all of which has left emerging market equity investors on edge. Positioning portfolios for 2025 and beyond demands a clear grasp of regional, country, and sector dynamics. Investors are looking for alternatives to US Big Tech companies and star…

Academic literature tells us there are more than 300 factors. But not all can be exploited by investors. In this third episode of our new podcast series, Quant researcher Matthias Hanauer explains the five criteria these factors should meet in order to help achieve long-term alpha.Bởi Robeco

AI has shaken up the investment world, generating impressive stock-market gains for the perceived winners. Is the market now starting to move beyond its obsession with the usual suspects in the AI race? Portfolio managers Jack Neele and Daniel Ernst discuss how they’re dealing with these questions.Bởi Robeco

Active Quant offers stable, systematic outperformance with predictable risk-return characteristics. But what’s really in it for you? In the second of this new series on Quant Investing we sit down with Jeroen Hagens, Client Portfolio Manager for Quant Equities at Robeco, to get the inside scoop.Bởi Robeco

Quant investing has been called a ‘black box,’ but is that really the case? In the first of this new series on Quant Investing we sit down with Harald Lohre, Director of Quant Research at Robeco, to break down this myth.Bởi Robeco

Equity markets are living through one of the most powerful momentum runs in decades, driven in large part by the continued dominance of US large-cap equities. But with valuations soaring, the question is: can the winners keep on winning, or will the momentum train soon lose steam?Bởi Robeco

In a world in which the momentum factor is a key driver of investor flows, and where investment sentiment is heavily skewed towards US mega-caps, a contrarian view can pay off. Boston Partners portfolio manager Chris Hart talks about opportunities in healthcare, consumer staples, financials and industrials.…

Robeco’s one-year outlook, titled ‘This is not a landing’, looks at how the US economy so far skillfully manages to defy all the indicators flashing an immediate recession risk. Peter van der Welle and Colin Graham discuss a broad range of both regions and asset classes in our latest podcast episode.…

What 'four more years of Trump' means for financial markets. Erika van der Merwe with Robeco's Colin Graham and Lauren Mariano.Bởi Robeco

This has been a landmark year for active exchange traded funds. More than 300 new active ETFs have been launched so far in 2024, and around EUR 200 bln investor flows have made their way into this market segment. Why have investors become increasingly eager to get exposure to these not-so-passive investment vehicles?…

Markets are preparing for lower rates. Fixed income investors who need their portfolios to keep on generating enough income are having to evaluate their options. For those who don't have the stomach for high yield debt, the investment grade segment of the credit market has some interesting possibilities. Tune in to hear Jan Willem Knoll and Daniel …

Many investors are still underweight emerging market equities. While the asset class outperformed developed markets by a wide margin in the first decade after the millennium, emerging market equity returns have since lagged, leaving investors with a degree of skepticism. But, looking ahead, one cannot deny the immense promise that many emerging mar…

It’s almost unnerving, watching equity-market indices repeatedly touching new all-time highs. Particularly when the gains are founded on a very select group of stocks, while economic indicators are relatively mixed. In such a set-up – we ask portfolio manager Michiel Plakman – what’s the best strategy for managing a market-beating investment portfo…

What does it take to truly see the significant shifts taking place in the world around us – those structural themes that might be obscured by the noise, but which require investors’ attention? Daniel Ernst and Sam Brasser are passionate about watching the world, discerning persistent themes and forming views on how to construct portfolios to benefi…

Anticipating how financial markets might react to the US presidential elections is a tough call for investors. Mike Mullaney, Director of Global Markets Research at Boston Partners, gives some clear guidelines on the scenarios.Bởi Robeco

While the returns of the Magnificent Seven stocks dwarfed the performance of thematic strategies in 2023, the tide may slowly be turning. In this podcast episode we talk to two seasoned thematic investors, Jack Neele and Roman Boner.Bởi Robeco

Quant equity investing has enjoyed the resurgence of value since late 2020. Meanwhile, the quest for innovation in capturing returns continues unabated. Since the birth of quant investing, there’s been a steady rise in the number of factors that researchers claim can explain alpha. But it turns out that 15 factors are enough to capture most of the …

A new aspect of the evolution in sustainable investing is the emphasis on what is termed 'transition finance'. It is a broad concept – some argue it’s too broad – but there are strong views that the complex shift that we need to get our economies to net zero will depend on this form of capital. How are investors going about the process of transitio…

A year ago, many market participants were arguing that 2023 would be a great year for fixed income. Following a series of aggressive policy rate hikes, it seemed at the start of the year to be a great entry point. But interest rates continue to rise for most of 2023 and flows into the asset class turned out to be surprisingly modest. Have we now re…

2023 gave investors little reason to complain. Both global equities and bondsare likely to deliver positive returns and Goldilocks still reigns supreme. In this podcast, Colin Graham and Peter van der Welle discuss the cracks in the resilience of Western economies (and their consumers), a contrarian view on the soft-landing consensus, inflation, ge…

The buzz around artificial intelligence has reached fever pitch, with growing awareness of what this technology can do. What does it all mean for investors? Can the power of AI be harnessed to create better investment outcomes? We’ve invited three specialists in this area, to discuss the various possibilities.…

Consensus views in the market have changed from a likelihood of a recession to a most likely soft landing. But economic laws have always applied and this time should be no different.Bởi Robeco

Countries all over the world have embraced the SDGs. Our new Country SDG Framework shows exactly which of those countries are making most progress. This new framework helps fixed income investors to finance those governments that are really making a difference. Laurens Swinkels and Jan Anton van Zanten discuss the details in our latest podcast epis…

Early this year, investors were notably enthusiastic about emerging market equities. And, as the months have gone by, funds have flowed towards this asset class. While returns have been fair, investors are still waiting for the big pay-off from the emerging market bet. How patient ought investors to be, and how rewarding will that pay-off be in the…

It’s been just over six months since generative AI was made truly accessible to the world at large. It’s sparked the collective imagination about the implications of AI technology for how we live, work – and even how we should assess potential investment prospects. What’s real, and what framework should one be applying to discern what the opportuni…

In their latest Credit Quarterly Outlook, Robeco’s Credit team explains that rates and recession fears are the main drivers of this cycle.At times like these it’s critical to know your assets, as risks as well as opportunities will be inevitable. Erik Keller, Client Portfolio Manager for Credit at Robeco, outlines the team’s views.…

The idea that the typical investment portfolio can be constructed with a 60% allocation to equities and a 40% exposure to bonds has paid off for number of decades, with very few exceptions. Last year happened to be one of those exceptions: the diversification effect broke down spectacularly, and the so-called 60-40 portfolio generated losses. Is it…

Podcast 'In tune with the markets' – Episode 6: 'Jai Ho!' A new episode of Robeco’s biweekly podcast that makes sense of the latest market moves – with a musical twist. Tune in to hear the latest from Portfolio Manager Arnout van Rijn. This podcast features material by fair use guidelines. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.…

The expectation had been that banks would enjoy the fruits of finally exiting zero interest rate policies. While that has been the case, the tremendous pace and extent to which rates have risen over the past year have highlighted some weaknesses in the system. In this context, what are investors’ assessment of the banking sector? In our latest podc…

This is a trailer. Full new episode out now: https://www.robeco.com/en-int/insights/2023/04/podcast-in-tune-with-the-markets-mahna-mahna Robeco’s biweekly podcast that makes sense of the latest market moves – with a musical twist. Tune in to hear the latest from Portfolio Manager Arnout van Rijn as he covers the latest in global banking, central ba…

Markets are still nervously eyeing the risk of a recession. Turmoil in the banking sector has added to the jitters. What will central banks do, and how should credit investors be positioned? In their latest Credit Quarterly Outlook, Robeco’s Credit team says they’re ready to buy on the dips, but with some very specific preferences. Erik Keller, Cli…

Asia-Pacific is touted as a region vibrant with opportunity, thanks to its demographic advantage, catch-up growth and technological prowess. But investors remain wary of some of the obstacles, such as uncertainty about China’s role as an economic powerhouse and, more broadly, the difficulty of investing in a region made up of highly distinct market…

Podcast 'In tune with the markets' – episode 3: 'I will survive' A new episode of Robeco’s biweekly podcast that makes sense of the latest market moves – with a musical twist. Tune in to hear the latest from Portfolio Manager Arnout van Rijn as he covers the latest in global banking, central bank action and what to watch in the week ahead.…

Podcast 'In tune with the markets' – episode 2: 'The Power' Arnout van Rijn: Central banks are still a major theme. The question is: how far are they willing to go, and what will it look like when markets snap. Meanwhile, equity markets remain relentlessly bullish, with cyclical stocks leading the charge. And China growth might be slowing, but it’s…

Karin van Baardwijk has been Robeco’s CEO for just over a year now – a period that coincided with what turned out to be a perfect storm for asset managers. A war, a drastic shift in the direction of central bank policy, and negative returns across most asset classes kept investors focused and humble. We talked to Karin about what these events mean …

There were few places for investors to hide in 2022, as weakness spread across all asset classes. Factor investing strategies, by contrast, provided some refuge: their resilience in down-trending markets confirmed their comeback. So, it’s a good time now to take stock of what’s going on in the world of quant and factor investing. Tune in and listen…

Robeco credit quarterly outlook with Erik KellerBởi Robeco

There’s agreement that measures to halt and reverse biodiversity loss are now critical. But is this enough to move key role-players into action? That includes the investment community, which is already dealing with macro-economic worries, regulatory demands and many competing priorities in the realm of ESG issues. This is especially topical in ligh…

2022 has been a year of records for bond investors. In the first six months, the fixed income asset class clocked its worst performance since 1788. And, unusually, bonds have weakened at the same time that equity markets got hammered. In this episode we take a look at a segment of the fixed income market: high yield corporate bonds. Here too, new r…

Value has proven over the past two years that it’s not dead, after all. The rotation away from growth stocks towards value that started in November 2020 continues. But it’s been in fits and starts. And, let’s face it, the market mood now is tense, fickle and unsure. Will it be smooth sailing for value strategies from here onwards? Jay Feeney is CEO…