Some 32 per cent of institutional asset owners currently have smart beta allocations, while more than half of those expect to increase their allocation, according to a survey by Russell Investment’s index business.
Only five per cent plan on reducing it. In addition, 76 per cent of asset owners are currently evaluating smart beta or plan to evaluate it within the next 18 months expect to make an allocation.
Particularly compelling is that smart beta indexes are being sought for their investment utility, helping to achieve broader portfolio objectives such as risk reduction and return enhancement more than basic cost savings.
The survey polled approximately 200 institutional asset owners with at least USD200 million in assets under management (AUM) in North America and Europe. The goal was to better understand perceptions and adoption of smart beta within these important investor populations.
