(Bloomberg) -- Quantitative finance has become a buzzword of modern investing, though it’s been around for decades. Thanks in no small part to the success and allure of firms like Renaissance Technologies LLC, quant hedge fund assets have more than doubled over the past eight years, growing to $967 billion by June 2018, according to Hedge Fund Research. All quant strategies use technology and formulas to automate the investment process, rather than rely on an investor’s savvy or a trader’s skills. The resemblance ends there. Some strategies look for a tiny edge that can be exploited in a day; others scour global trends for investments that last for years. Here’s a sampling, from most to least patient.
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Factor investingYou like Indian food and Thai food, so maybe you like all spicy foods. |
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Risk parityDiversifying, with a twist. |
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Systematic global macroSee the forest, not just the trees. |
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Event-driven arbitrageYou don’t need a crystal ball to know what’s coming. |
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Statistical arbitrageWith time, everything gets back to normal. |
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CTAThere’s always room on the bandwagon. |
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The Reference Shelf
- QuickTake explainers on "quantamental" investing, hedge funds, carry trade, smart beta and machine learning.
- Bloomberg Businessweek explored the rise of algorithmic investing.
- It’s been a difficult run for equity quant funds.
- Quants get a bad rap for poor performance, Aaron Brown wrote in Bloomberg Opinion.
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.