Alternative data provides measurable and sustainable investing edge
Greenwich Associates
Alternative data has been around for at least a decade, but increased adoption has made it less “alternative” and a more essential part of portfolio construction. The latest Greenwich Associates survey reviews alt-data trends. Read More
Long-only investors increasingly look to alternative data
Profit & Loss
Among the findings of the above-mentioned Greenwich Associates survey, traditional long-only investors say they are joining quantitative early-adopters in using alternative data to achieve alpha. Read More
Human factor is crucial to the alt-data gold rush
Waters Technology (subscription)
While technology advancements are being made, buy-side firms still rely on humans to make sense of alt data. Read More
Computer models won’t beat stock market any time soon
Bloomberg Businessweek
We expect a lot from machines: Spotify picks your songs, your phone recognizes your face and self-driving cars may be just around the corner. Yet, there’s something you’ll likely never have access to: a computerized stockpicker that outsmarts the market. Read More
Stick to core skills or risk data overload, says Goldman quant
Risk.net (subscription)
Explosive growth in alt data, machine learning, and cheaper computing promise to help generate alpha. But asset managers must get picky about how they handle new types of data or they risk being overwhelmed, says a quant tasked with selling Goldman’s internal data. Read More
Buyside, FISD, begin industry push for alt data standards
Waters Technology
In response to firms struggling with the data science aspects of integrating alternative data, some industry participants and the Financial Services Information Association (FISD) are pursuing new initiatives to make it more accessible. Read More
Show me the data: investors demand better ESG disclosure
Opalesque (subscription)
The value of environmental, social and governance (ESG) data is well understood, but for it to be useful, it must be specific, reliable and consistently provided. For the most part, disclosure has been limited and voluntary. Read More
Nextgov
Lawmakers propose $2.2 billion to advance AI
A bipartisan trio of senators want to pour billions of dollars into expanding the use of artificial intelligence across government and industry, and preparing the country’s workforce to use the tech. Read More
Bloomberg (subscription)
Analysts make research cooler, wonkier and bespoke to lure cash
As the industry wrestles with MiFID II, asset managers are trying to win clients through podcasts, novella-length thematic analyses, and proprietary data. Three topics are particularly hot: ESG, renewable energy, and alternative data. Read More