Applying Quantitative Expertise to Client Objectives

An investment may be risky and may not be suitable for a client’s goals, objectives, and risk tolerance. An investment's value may be volatile, and any investment involves the risk that you may lose money.

The value of a strategy's investments will vary in response to many factors, including adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. The value of an individual security or a particular type of security can be more volatile than and perform differently from the market as a whole. Nearly all accounts are subject to volatility in non-U.S. markets, either through direct exposure or indirect effects on U.S. markets from events abroad, including fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and, in the case of less developed markets, currency illiquidity. Events such as natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, and social unrest in one country, region, or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region, or financial market. Performance could be negatively impacted if the value of a portfolio holding were harmed by such political or economic conditions or events. Moreover, such negative political and economic conditions and events could disrupt the processes necessary for investment operations.

Stock markets, especially foreign markets, are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Foreign securities are subject to interest rate, currency exchange rate, economic, and political risks. The securities of smaller, less well-known companies can be more volatile than those of larger companies. In general, the bond market, especially foreign markets, are volatile, and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Fixed income securities carry interest rate risk (as interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk, liquidity risk, call risk, and credit and default risks for both issuers and counter parties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.
As a result of the factors used in the quantitative analysis, the weight placed on each factor, and changes in the factor's historical trends, securities selected using quantitative analysis can perform differently from the market as a whole, or securities selected using only fundamental analysis. The factors used in quantitative analysis and the weight placed on those factors may not be predictive of a security's value. If the factors that affect a security's value change over time and are not adequately reflected in the quantitative model, the strategy may fail to achieve its investment objective.
Alternative investments are investment products other than the traditional investments of stocks, bond, mutual funds, or ETFs. Examples of alternative investments are limited partnerships, limited liability companies, hedge funds, private equity, private debt, commodities, real estate, and promissory notes. Some of the risks associated with alternative investments are: Alternative investments may be relatively illiquid. It may be difficult to determine the current market value of the asset. There may be limited historical risk and return data. A high degree of investment analysis may be required before buying. Costs of purchase and sale may be relatively high.