Latest Blog Posts

Analytics | Portfolio Risk Management
A thesis redux: The equity market downturn probably has more to go if history is any guide
Historically, bear markets have been rare. Since 1982 there have been five drawdowns of 20% or more (the ‘official’ bear market definition), including the current one, with a cycle of seven to 13 years in between each one. The present case is unusual, as it has only been two years since the last one.

Index | ESG & Sustainability
WTW: Why it is key to manage a portfolio’s climate-transition risk beyond carbon emissions
At the recent Qontigo Investment Intelligence Summit, WTW’s climate experts discussed how investors can better grasp a company’s climate-transition risk by looking forward to the future impact on its cash flows, rather than backwards at its carbon footprint.

A new Qontigo white paper analyzes the effect of changes in term spreads, or the difference between long- and short-term sovereign bond yields, on the performance of the iSTOXX Developed and Emerging Markets ex USA PK VN index. The findings show a rise in term spreads has, overall, helped returns for the global real estate index since 2019, but the relationship varies depending on regional exposure and period.

Index | Thematic Investing
First thematic futures at Eurex launch new avenue for booming investment segment
Eurex has listed futures on three STOXX thematic indices that have a technology focus: breakthrough healthcare, digitalization and digital security. The centrally cleared derivatives complement a growing thematics ecosystem that includes ETFs, helping investors better manage portfolios.

A new Qontigo white paper runs the numbers on the iSTOXX Developed and Emerging Markets ex USA PK VN, a global real estate index, to understand the relationship between expected inflation in the US, Europe and the UK, and index returns. The findings show that the sector has represented a good overall inflation hedge over the last couple of years, although regional and portfolio considerations can create exceptions.

Index | Index / ETFs
Leverage Shares expands suite of single-stock short and leveraged ETPs tracking STOXX indices
The family of ETPs has proved popular with investors and traders as an efficient way to implement leveraged and short strategies on widely traded stocks. The listed securities cover the shares of more than 50 companies and showcase the versatility of index-based investing.

Index | Factor Investing
BlackRock’s Ang on sustainability alpha signals: ESG and factors as ‘best friends’
ESG and climate metrics can be used as signals to generate alpha either on a stand-alone basis or to strengthen traditional style factors, BlackRock’s Andrew Ang explained during the Qontigo Investment Intelligence Summit.

Index | Index / ETFs
Germany’s LBBW licenses STOXX global Paris-aligned decrement index for structured products
The iSTOXX® Global Climate Change ESG NR Decrement 4.5% offers exposure to a portfolio on a decarbonization pathway and is compliant with the European Union Climate Benchmarks regulation.

Index | Technology
Buy-versus-build in FinTech: benefiting from commoditization to gain competitive advantage
Neal Pawar, Chief Operating Officer at Qontigo, addressed the Qontigo Investment Intelligence Summits to give the practitioner’s perspective on how to improve efficiency at investment firms. He focused on whether to buy or build operations in a radically changed technological ecosystem.