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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What price is right for a low carbon future

Australia’s lower house of Parliament passed a carbon tax yesterday. It prices carbon at $23 a ton. India’s carbon tax is 80 rupees (about $1) a ton. So what is the appropriate price of carbon? According to Robert Litterman in his Financial Analysts Journal editorial, it is a complex equation that should reflect fundamental uncertainty

Déjà vu as Wilshire warns CalPERS of ARS portfolio risks

CalPERS’ absolute return strategies program is over-reliant on quantitative tools, inadequately staffed and may be overweight in certain strategies and risks, according to Wilshire’s annual review of the portfolio.mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Investors have more than just voting in their engagement armoury, study finds

Institutional investors are using just a fraction of the “weapons” they have at their disposal when they engage with companies, and need to use the entire proxy proposal process better, Rob Bauer told attendees at a recent PRI conference.mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

DiNapoli defends DB schemes

New York State Comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, has defended public defined benefit schemes, saying that they are not a drag on state government finances, are sustainable and form a vital part of the US economy.mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored Content scnative1 scnative2 scnative3

Funds seek the elixir of scale

The investment firepower and cost savings promised by economies of scale have enraptured the Australian superannuation industry. This has instilled in some funds an urge to merge in order to enjoy the benefits of being large. However some investment chiefs believe that bigger size brings a new set of problems that can undermine performance.mrec4inarticleinline Sponsored

Investor survey reveals disappointing year for hedge fund returns

Hedge funds had a disappointing year, according to a study by UK-based alternative assets research firm Preqin that reveals 40 per cent of investors surveyed feel that returns on their investments have failed to meet expectations in the past 12 months. The survey of 50 institutional investors also shows that just 11 per cent feel

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