An investment management style is a broad approach that portfolio managers use to make decisions about which securities to buy or sell. There are many different styles from value investing, growth investing, and momentum investing to index investing, dividend investing, and active and passive investing.
Each style has its own advantages and disadvantages, and no 1 style is always the best. Different investors will prefer different styles depending on their own goals and risk tolerance.
What are some different investment management styles?
There are many different investment management styles and here are some of the most popular:
Value investing
This style revolves around finding stocks that are undervalued by the market and have the potential to increase in price. Value investors look for companies with strong fundamentals and good prospects for future growth.
Growth investing
Growth investing looks at stocks that are growing rapidly and have the potential to continue growing at a high rate. Growth investors look for companies with innovative products or services, strong management teams, and good prospects for future growth.
Momentum investing
This investing style focuses on finding stocks that have rapidly rising momentum and have the potential to continue moving higher. Momentum investors look for companies with positive momentum indicators, such as rising earnings, revenue, and share price.
Index investing
Index investing is based on investing in a basket of stocks that track a particular index, such as the S&P 500. Index investors seek to achieve the same return as the index itself, without incurring the higher costs associated with actively managed funds.
Dividend investing
Dividend investing is finding stocks that offer high dividend yields. Dividend investors look to receive regular income from their investments, as well as the potential for capital appreciation.
Active investing
Active investing includes buying and selling stocks to outperform the market. Active investors use a variety of techniques, such as fundamental analysis, technical analysis, and news-based trading strategies.
Passive investing
Passively holding a portfolio of stocks, typically index funds, and not actively buying or selling is called passive investing. Passive investors seek to achieve the same return as the market, without incurring the higher costs associated with active management.
Bottom-up investing
Bottom-up investing focuses on finding individual stocks that are attractive investments, regardless of the overall market conditions. Bottom-up investors conduct in-depth research on companies before making investment decisions.
Top-down investing
Top-down investing starts with an analysis of the overall market and then looks for individual stocks that are expected to perform well in that environment. Top-down investors use macroeconomic indicators, such as GDP growth, interest rates, and inflation, to make investment decisions.
Core investing
The core style is investing in a basket of "core" stocks that are expected to hold up well in all market conditions. Core investors tend to focus on large, well-established companies with strong fundamentals and diversified businesses.
GARP investing
GARP stands for "growth at a reasonable price." This style requires finding stocks that offer both growth potential and value. GARP investors look for companies with strong fundamentals and good prospects for future growth, but that are trading at a discount to their intrinsic value.
Risk-based investing
Risk-based investing means constructing a portfolio of stocks in such a way as to minimize risk. Risk-based investors use a variety of techniques, such as diversification, hedging, and position sizing, to manage risk. A comfort with conservative, moderate and aggressive levels of risk is also involved here.
With all the different investment styles available, it stands to reason that the success of these investments will depend on market performance. Even if it doesn’t feel like it based on what’s happening with the world, volatility is a normal and healthy part of market cycles. This is evident when you look at Datastream and Bloomberg’s range of market crises and subsequent returns through time.
What are some different investment management techniques?
In addition to the various investment styles, there are also many different investment management techniques. Some popular ones include:
Fundamental analysis
This technique means analyzing a company's financial statements to determine its intrinsic value. Fundamental analysts use a variety of ratios, such as the price-to-earnings ratio, to find stocks that are undervalued by the market.
Technical analysis
The technical analysis technique constitutes using historical price and volume data to identify patterns that can be used to predict future price movements. Technical analysts use a variety of charting techniques, such as support and resistance levels, to make investment decisions.
News-based trading
News-based trading entails using news events to generate trading signals. News-based traders look for stocks that are likely to be impacted by upcoming events, such as earnings releases or analyst upgrades/downgrades.
Algorithmic trading
This technique means using computer programs to automatically execute trades based on pre-determined rules. Algorithmic traders use a variety of technical indicators, such as moving averages and Bollinger Bands, to identify trading opportunities.
Diversification
Diversification is a risk management technique that requires investing in a variety of asset classes, sectors, and industries. By diversifying, investors seek to reduce the overall risk of their portfolios.
Rebalancing
Rebalancing is an investing technique that incorporates periodically selling assets that have increased in value and buying assets that have decreased in value. Rebalancing helps investors maintain their desired asset allocation and manage risk.
Dollar-cost averaging
Dollar-cost averaging is an investing technique that consists of buying a fixed dollar amount of a security at regular intervals. By doing this, investors seek to reduce the overall cost of their investment and minimize market timing risk.
As you can see, there are many different investment management styles and techniques. Different investors will use different techniques based on their unique goals and objectives. However, all investors should aim to diversify their portfolios and rebalance periodically to manage risk. By using a variety of different techniques and styles, investors can increase their chances of success in the markets.