John Fawcett: Disrupting the secretive world of quants

I chat with John, the founder of Quantopian, on how he got started in quantitative finance, where he sees the industry evolving and how he created a global community of intrinsically motivated coders to create unique solutions to the greatest intellectual game on earth.

Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

Sponsored Content

Leave a Comment

Future Fund: AI world order defined by US-China split will hurt capital owners

Future Fund: AI world order defined by US-China split will hurt capital owners

A geostrategic standoff between the US and China over AI would be “extremely damaging for capital owners” according to the Future Fund, Australia’s A$337 billion ($237 billion) sovereign wealth fund, which outlined four “secular scenarios” around AI and its investment implications.

Sort content by

COVID-19 impact far from over

New research looking at the impact of COVID-19 under different scenarios – from opening of economies to no vaccine – suggests the economic consequences of COVID-19 under all scenarios is substantial and the ongoing economic adjustment is far from over.

Investors continue to align with SDGs

Five years on since the SDGs were launched, an increasing number of investors are putting capital to work to earn returns alongside helping solve global scourges like the climate crisis, poverty and inequality. Sarah Rundell looks at New York Common Fund and Denmark's PKA among others.

IMCO uses nimbleness to advantage

Meticulous planning for the next market crash, and an eye on liquidity, meant IMCO was well positioned to invest, particularly in credit, when the opportunity arose. The fund continues to use its agility to its advantage and is now looking for opportunities in private markets.

Alternative data as a market predictor

It is critical to analyse how much COVID-19 could impact the US economy and stock markets but most of the traditional factors or economic indicators will lag the market movement. Therefore, alternative datasets other than the financial data show their explanation power to provide insights into the pandemic. This article, by academics at Tsinghua University, University of Illinois and Carnegie Mellon University, looks at the pattern of the market fluctuation from the perspective of alternative data.

A more thoughtful private equity model

Responsible investors need to take into account how fund management and investment structures may be exacerbating wealth and income disparities, as well as systemic market risk. Raphaele Chappe and Delilah Rothenberg from the Predistribution Initiative have some suggestions for how PE could be adjusted in this regard and how building back better post-COVID-19 requires a more thoughtful model.

Is portfolio construction up to the task

The best way to integrate different scenarios into portfolio construction is front of mind for investors right now. But as David Bell explores adapting academic practices into the more complex real world is full of challenges. There are some important learnings in examining different techniques though.

Previous