Factors

Commercial indices’ limitations have made Value a fertile ground for stock pickers. Our Composite Value model has shown promise in circumventing these flaws and capturing alpha.

This week we develop two ideas with three screeners. The first identifies deep cyclical sectors that continue to outperform post Liberation Day in the US. We provide two screens to identify equity opportunities for this.  Our final screener identifies momentum stocks that are cheap and trending and will benefit from a soft landing.   

The US High Quality (USHQ) portfolio underperformed its benchmark through July, returning -1.5%, whilst its SPY benchmark returned 0.2%. On a trailing three-month basis, performance was notably weak vs. benchmark, with USHQ underperforming by approx. 750bps. 

Despite macro headwinds, the OBBBA clearly favors Industrials, Financials, and Consumer Discretionary equity sectors. A carefully constructed, factor-aware basket in these sectors is well positioned to outperform in a fiscal-driven, uncertain environment. 

The US High Quality (USHQ) portfolio outperformed on the margin through April, returning -0.6%, whilst its SPY benchmark returned -1.2%. On a trailing three-month basis, performance remains robust vs. benchmark, with USHQ generating +230bps of excess return. Volatility and drawdown are lower too.

This week, our three screeners all cover equity plays centered around safe stock selection within Equity Analyzer.