Summary
Investing is all about managing uncertainty. However, there is strong empirical evidence showing limited success: actively-managed funds fail to outperform their benchmarks, in the short and especially in the long run.
In the first part, Andreas J. Zimmermann shows that analytical AI opens up new opportunities to manage uncertainty holistically, by considering possible outcomes in a comprehensive way. To demonstrate the efficiency of AI, in a first step, machine learning identifies active fund strategies. Second, analytical AI automatically combines passive ETFs to replicas of active funds that have significant superior performance.
In the second part, Florian Weigert presents a novel approach to answer the key question: why it is it so hard to predict fund performance? First, he reviews patterns between active funds’ and managers’ characteristics and their future performance. Then, he uses machine learning in fund manager selection and shows how to efficiently combine predictor variables to forecast mutual fund performance. The results show that there are managers that outperform there benchmarks net of costs.
Presenters
- Dr. Andreas Zimmermann, FinHorizon
Current occupation development of an investment platform for financial service providers using analytical artificial intelligence, previous advising activities: evaluation of proprietary trading on the stability of the EU banking system, impact of capital regulations on the European banking industry, end-to-end design and implementation of the banks management strategy, business approach, corporate government principles, and quantitative solutions.
Employments: University of Zurich (Professor for Macroeconomics), Lugano, Credit Suisse, KPMG Partner
State Doctorate, Eligibility, Ph.D. thesis, summa cum laude
Visiting Scholar Harvard University, University of Rochester USA - Prof. Dr. Florian Weigert, University of Neuchatel
Florian Weigert is Professor of Financial Risk Management at the University of Neuchâtel. His research focuses on empirical asset pricing, hedge funds, mutual funds, behavioral finance, and risk management. His work has been oublished in the top academic finance journals (such as the Journal of Finance, the Review of Financial Studies, and the Journal of Financial Economics). Florian obtained his Ph.D. in Finance with Summa Cum Laude from the University of Mannheim. Before joining the faculty of Neuchâtel, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of St. Gallen and Visiting Scholar at New York University, Georgetown University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Georgia State University.
Moderation by Prof. Dr. Erich Walter Farkas.
Agenda
18:00 Doors open – Name Tag Collection
18:15 Introduction (Prof. Dr. Walter Farkas)
18:20 Presentation 1 (Prof. Dr. Florian Weigert)
18:40 Presentation 2 (Dr. Andreas Zimmermann)
19:10 Questions & Answers (all)
19:30 Networking drinks (all)
20:30 End
Chapter Event
This Chapter Event is available to members and free. We will be presenting one or more speakers to share their knowledge, updates and best practices on a specific risk topic. Within the small groups of risk professionals you can exchange thoughts and test ideas. This event is hosted by chapter Analytical Methods.
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Fund performance: Is AI the game changer to manage portfolios’ return/risk trade-off?
3. September 2024
18:15 - 20:45
Venue: University Zurich (KOL-H-317)
Address: