Our ETF strategy utilizes asset class optimization that seeks to include broad global exposure to the capital markets while keeping expenses as low as possible. Asset class optimization takes into account expected returns, variances and co-variances of returns of individual assets in order to determine the most strategic investment combinations of those assets.
We seek to offer portfolio choices that achieve the maximum amount of expected return for each unit of accepted risk.
This process requires several steps:
First, we select the global asset classes that should be utilized and then screen for funds that most appropriately mimic these asset classes.
Second, our investment professionals forecast the expected returns of each of the asset classes.
Third, we use a portfolio optimizer to consider our return forecasts in conjunction with statistical relationships and compute portfolio choices that maximize the risk/return ratio.
These strategies operate off our forecast of expected returns over a 12-month time horizon. We revisit our forecasts on a quarterly basis, or sooner if required by capital market undercurrents. Mid-term changes in forecasts are re-optimized to determine if meaningful differences in risk/return characteristics have evolved. Asset weight changes are implemented based on meaningful changes in the currently predicted efficient frontier.
