Is low vol crowded? That depends who you ask

Equity drawdowns have pushed more investors into low volatility strategies, raising fears of a build-up of risk

Crowded finance
Risk.net montage

As market turbulence caused investors to flock to safety last year, low volatility investing provided them with at least some of the protection they were looking for.

The factor investing strategy – which in its most naive form buys the least volatile stocks over time – dropped 5% in 2022 compared with the S&P 500, which fell more than three times as far.

The low vol factor works on the premise that previously stable companies are more likely to weather unstable market conditions. But now some

Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.

To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@risk.net or view our subscription options here: http://subscriptions.risk.net/subscribe

You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@risk.net to find out more.

Sorry, our subscription options are not loading right now

Please try again later. Get in touch with our customer services team if this issue persists.

New to Risk.net? View our subscription options

Register

Want to know what’s included in our free membership? Click here

This address will be used to create your account

You need to sign in to use this feature. If you don’t have a Risk.net account, please register for a trial.

Sign in
You are currently on corporate access.

To use this feature you will need an individual account. If you have one already please sign in.

Sign in.

Alternatively you can request an individual account here