Navigating Factor Categories in Finance

🎙️ Inside Causeway’s Quant Playbook | Joe Gubler on Factor Innovation, Risk, and Portfolio Design

In this episode of Excess Returns, we sit down with Joe Gubler, Director of Quantitative Research at Causeway Capital. Joe shares a deep dive into Causeway’s distinctive approach to factor investing, blending traditional quant signals with fundamental insights, and building models that adapt to market context. From constructing proprietary sustainability alpha signals to using machine learning to refine quality definitions, Joe reveals a cutting-edge playbook for the future of quantitative investing.

📌 In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Why Causeway doesn't treat its quant model as sacrosanct

How to blend fundamental overlays with systematic strategies

The logic behind composite factors and contextual weighting

Unconventional factor signals like corporate events and peer-based momentum

How machine learning enhances quality assessment

How Causeway adapts factor models across regimes and markets

What most quants miss when it comes to factor construction and interpretation

The evolving role of AI and NLP in alpha generation

Joe's views on passive flows and fundamental mispricings