Quant & Factor Investing

Value, size, quality, momentum and low volatility.

1. What Factors Are — Factors are shared traits, like cheapness or recent strength, that researchers have linked to differences in stock returns. Here is where the idea came from, the main factors and why they may work.
2. Value, Size & Quality — Value buys cheap stocks, size favors small companies and quality favors strong businesses. Here is how each works, how long they can lag and what our price data shows about small caps.
3. Momentum and Low Volatility — Momentum buys recent winners, and low volatility favors calm stocks. Here is why each has worked over long periods, and how both fell short in our March to September 2026 data.
4. Factor ETFs — Factor ETFs package value, quality, momentum and other tilts into a single fund. Here is how they are built, what to compare before buying one and why two funds with the same label can hold very different stocks.
5. Multi-Factor Portfolios — Combining factors can smooth returns, because different factors tend to shine at different times. Here is how multi-factor portfolios are built, why value and momentum pair well and what to watch out for.
6. Factor Cycles and Patience — Factors can underperform for years, testing even disciplined investors. Here is how long factor droughts have lasted, what a real 20-year small-cap record looks like and how to decide whether to stick with a factor.