Factor investing is an investment approach that aims to generate higher risk-adjusted returns by systematically selecting securities according to proven drivers of returns, known as factors. Often used factors include quality, value, momentum, low volatility.
BNP Paribas Asset management (BNPP AM) has been among the leaders in factor investing since 2009. Our quantitative team consists of more than 40 professionals with an average of 15 years’ experience. Members of the team regularly contribute to academic research and industry thought leadership.
Why factor investing?
Coupled with the expertise of a skilled and experienced investment manager such as BNPP AM, this innovative approach can offer a number of benefits:
- Attractive return potential from proven and efficient long-term sources of performance
- Robust risk controls that can help keep a portfolio in line with investors’ preferred risk exposure
- Diversification from more traditional investments
- Integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles that can enhance returns and better mitigate risk, while meeting sustainability goals
Why us?
We have been managing factor-based strategies for a decade, both in equities and fixed income. Over the course of this decade, our combination of fundamental, academic and quantitative modelling expertise has resulted in a robust investment platform, which today fully integrates sustainability and climate change considerations.
Underpinning our platform are several key features that, we believe, can lead to better client and portfolio outcomes.
- In-depth quantitative research: Research is at the heart of our investment process. Our strategies are based on in-house research conducted by our Quantitative Research Group (QRG), a highly experienced team of specialists that focus on the application of ideas and themes into the design of quantitative solutions and development of capabilities.
- Factor risk targeting: Our research has shown that factor timing does not improve risk-adjusted returns over the long run. Instead, we believe maintaining a balanced targeted risk exposure to factors that exhibit low correlations to each other is important and leads to enhanced investment results.
- Transparency: When designing factor-based strategies, we always seek to avoid unnecessary complexity. We believe this helps to make our strategies more understandable and transparent.
- A systematic process: We believe in having a fully systematic investment process, for better discipline and efficiency. Being statistically robust and scientifically sound also allows us to produce reliable historical simulations to assess the long-term behaviour of our strategies.
Our solutions
We are able to offer investors a variety of solutions that target single or multiple factors across asset classes and geographies. Moreover, our solutions can be fully customised to meet different investor needs: the return they expect, the level of risk they are willing to take, and the sustainability objectives they seek.
To learn more about some of our out-of-the box solutions, please view the funds below.
| Global low-volatility equity – EUR | Euro multi-factor corporate bond | US multi-factor equity |
|---|---|---|
| Rated 5 stars by Morningstar*, this fund aims to generate higher risk-adjusted returns over the medium to long term by exploiting low volatility stocks. | A systematic multi-factor approach that invests predominantly in investment grade corporate bonds denominated in EUR. | Rated 4 stars by Morningstar*, this funds follows a multi-factor approach that seeks to provide diversified exposure to US large-caps. |
To learn more about our funds, please speak to your client relationship manager.
To learn more about our tailored solutions, please download our Practical Guide to Multifactor Investing.
Our insights & research
Through our QRG team we publish detailed academic papers and regular thought leadership articles that highlight the potential benefits of quantitative and factor investing. We strongly believe in investigating and researching before expecting clients to invest.
| Multi-factor investing in corporate bond markets | Outperforming corporate bond indices with factor investing | The low volatility anomaly in equity sectors |
|---|---|---|
| We believe the next stage in the evolution of factor investing will be its adoption in other asset classes such as corporate bond markets. View more | We discuss how factor investing can be used to select corporate bonds with the highest risk-adjusted returns. View more | We revisit our research to ascertain if the least volatile stocks in every sector are still more attractive than their riskier peers on a risk-adjusted return basis. |
*Ratings as of October 2019 Investments are subject to market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investments in securities. The value of investments and the income they generate may go down as well as up and it is possible that investors will not recover their initial outlay, the strategies described being in risk of capital loss. There is no guarantee that the performance objective will be achieved. Past performance or achievement is not indicative of current or future performance. Copyright © 2019 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The overall star rating for each fund is based on a weighted average of the number of stars assigned to it in the three-, five-, and 10-year rating periods. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.