The Curious Quant

The Curious Quant series, hosted by Michael Kollo, is a discussion between technically-minded professionals in the financial services, technology and data science fields. It carefully examines the application of new data and new methodologies to common problems in financial markets. The aim is to promote better discussions about these emerging areas, and a better understanding of new technologies.

 

 

Michael Kollo is a seasoned investment professional with a deep passion for the pragmatic discussion and application of quantitative models to solve problems. His PhD in Finance is from the London School of Economics where he lectured in quantitative finance in addition to Imperial College and at the University of New South Wales. He has created models and led quantitative research teams at Blackrock, Fidelity and Axa Rosenberg in the UK before more recently moving to Australia where he established the quantitative team for the $50 billion industry superannuation fund, HESTA. Kollo is an experienced speaker, author, mentor, a keen student of philosophy and more recently, a podcaster. The Curious Quant is a series of conversations with market leaders, deep thinkers and practitioners who deal with the wonder and frustrations of these models and who are on the front line of AI innovation.

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KIC partners with Australian, Malaysian sovereign peers

South Korea’s sovereign wealth fund (SWF), the $25 billion Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), has signed cooperation agreements with Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) and Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional Berhad to share resources and pursue investments with the government-owned entities. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

FRR completes review, reduces equities

France’s pension reserve fund, the €28.9 billion ($40.6 billion) Fonds De Reserve Pour Les Retraites, has completed a strategic asset allocation review that began last January, resulting in a dramatic reduction in equities. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

CalPERS limits derivatives use

In line with its recently-approved leverage policy, the $181 billion fund for Californian public employees, CalPERS, has reviewed its derivatives policy for global equities, with notional leverage constrained to a new limit of 10 per cent of the value of the global equities portfolio. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

The marginal investor: thoughts from the edge

Getting past past performance In his top1000funds.com blog on outlying investment issues, Jack Gray Adjunct Professor of Finance at the Paul Woolley Centre for Capital Markets Dysfunctionality at the University of Technology, Sydney, contemplates the allure of past performance. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

CFA members vote on short selling rules

As the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ponders various alternative rules on an appropriate limit on short selling in distressed markets, a survey of members by the CFA Institute Centre for Financial Market Integrity shows the least preferred method is a ban on short selling in a particular security for the remainder of the day

ESG progress for large funds: USS

The £23 billion ($37.7 billion) Universities Superannuation Scheme is the UK’s second largest pension fund and a signatory to the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment. Kristen Paech talks to the fund’s co-head of responsible investment, David Russell, about the role institutional investors are playing in effecting environmental, social and governance change. mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1

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