(Photo: Thinkstock)
Factor allocations and factor applications among North American investors are expanding, according to Invesco's latest Global Factor Study.
"The concept of factor investing — an investment strategy in which securities are chosen based on certain characteristics and attributes — has existed since the 1950s," the report states. "However, the strategy has only gained prevalent acceptance in recent years."
Since Invesco first polled investors about factors in 2016, North American respondents have increased their adoption of factor strategies at an average rate of 5% per year.
In a survey of more than 300 institutional and wholesale factor investors globally, of which 90 came from North America, Invesco found that as respondents gain experience in utilizing factor portfolios they are increasing their usage.
The take-up of factor investing has already been significant among North American respondents, with factor allocations near 20% compared with the sample global average of 13%.
Nearly half of the respondents also plan to increase their allocation to factor strategies in the next three years.
Invesco found that while asset owners often commences their factor journey with a single strategy, as time goes by they tend to implement additional factor strategies and consider how to extend their factor portfolio from equities to fixed income and multi-asset.
For example, the survey found that less experienced investors in North America use an average of 2.5 smart beta strategies and 1.6 active quant strategies. For the more sophisticated investors, the average is 4 smart beta strategies and 3 active quant strategies, indicating broadening usage within portfolios. These strategies are most commonly being applied within equity portfolios, according to Invesco.
