Scientific Beta

This webinar will present Scientific Beta’s equity inflation indices, the first in a series of macroeconomic factor indices, that provide long-term equity performance with additional inflation protection compared to a traditional cap-weighted equity index. Their high liquidity makes them ideal candidates as a replacement of cap-weighted indices in a multi-asset portfolio. It will also discuss equity indices targeting further macro variables (interest rates, term spread, credit spread). 

Felix Goltz, PhD, Research Director, and Eric Shirbini, PhD, Global Research and Investment Solutions Director, at Scientific Beta, are hosting an IPE webcast entitled "Macro-Tilted Equity Indices: Protecting your Equity Portfolio against Inflation and other Macro Surprises" on 7 December, 2021 at 3.00 pm GMT / 4.00 pm CET.

For investors seeking exposure to non-rewarded risk factors, such as macroeconomic factors, Scientific Beta is offering a new suite of macro indices designed to capture the equity risk premium with additional exposure to unexpected shocks or the surprises of targeted macro factors. 

In this webinar, we will present Scientific Beta’s equity inflation indices, the first in a series of macroeconomic factor indices, that provide long-term equity performance with additional inflation protection compared to a traditional cap-weighted equity index. Their high liquidity makes them ideal candidates as a replacement of cap-weighted indices in a multi-asset portfolio. We will also present equity indices targeting further macro variables (interest rates, term spread, credit spread). 

Topics covered include: 

• Reliable measurement of macroeconomic exposure (role of robust statistics and forward-looking information).
• Building dedicated macroeconomic portfolios that lead to stronger targeted macro exposures compared to a factor or sector allocation approach.
• The financial characteristics of highly liquid investable inflation indices that can offer better protection against inflation surprises than a simple cap-weighted index.
• Beyond inflation: Protecting portfolios against surprises in the interest rate, term spread, and credit spread.

The webcast will be moderated by Brendan Maton of IPE. 

Felix Goltz, PhD, is Research Director at Scientific Beta. He carries out research in empirical finance and asset allocation, with a focus on alternative investments and indexing strategies. His work has appeared in various international academic and practitioner journals and handbooks. He obtained a PhD in finance from the University of  Nice  Sophia-Antipolis  after  studying  economics  and  business  administration  at the University of Bayreuth and EDHEC Business School.

Eric Shirbini, PhD, is Global Research and Investment Solutions Director with Scientific Beta. Prior to joining Scientific Beta in 2011, Eric worked for close to twenty years as a quantitative analyst for investment banks including UBS, BNP Paribas and Nomura International. During this time, he worked on a diverse range of topics including multi-factor models, fundamental stock valuation, equity market indices, portfolio construction and portfolio trading. At Nomura International, he served as Director of Quantitative Research and at BNP Paribas, he managed a team of analysts who were responsible for the Global Equity Research Database. He has also served for over twenty years on index management committees. He holds a B.Sc. and a Ph.D. from University College London and an MBA from CASS Business School.