August 1, 2019
Written by Richard Hamm, Chief Executive Officer, Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc.
Once the stuff of science fiction, the impact artificial intelligence (AI) is having on our everyday lives is real, powerful and growing by the minute. In the financial services sector technology is increasingly being leveraged to optimize workflow and analyze large sets of data for their own business purposes. But in an industry, where barriers to change are supported by regulators and legacy systems rife with inefficiencies, the use of real AI technology is gaining ground in making changes for the clients as well.
AI technology will be just as disruptive a force in the investment industry as it has been to the hotel and taxi businesses. Personal investing will benefit from the many systems that are being created to develop custom investment solutions at a fraction of the costs currently charged. From managed financial planning programs to investment selection and asset management tools that are better suited for each individual, AI will improve upon human only solutions. The obvious impact on all aspects of the business will result in lower or more appropriate fees and greater transparency. In short, anyone who does not grasp the impact of AI will have on business revenues and client satisfaction stands to be left behind. From the client’s perspective machine learning and artificial intelligence will pave the way for a greater democratization of institutional quality products and services and their availability to the public. Hopefully this will lead to better investment returns and to significant social benefits, including lowering the government’s support for retirees as a result.
At Bristol Gate, machine learning and neural linguistic programming allow us to effectively generate ideas for our portfolios rather than chasing around external sources. In addition, it gives us better insights into risk analysis and the factors to consider in managing risk. We believe that together these are very important parts of the equation and contribute significantly to our abilities to both grow and protect our client’s wealth by ultimately building a better portfolio. It also allows us to standardize product management and improve on both existing and potential new products by using concepts that can be tested and proven with evidence as opposed to having a human bias or by being influenced by behaviour that is based on people’s own feelings.
Finally, machine learning enables our firm to cut costs, which allows us to be leaders in competitive fees. We know from first-hand experience it makes us better and more effective at idea management, asset allocation processes, portfolio construction and optimization of the portfolios that are built.
However, even with its unprecedented influence on our portfolio management abilities, we believe the investment portfolios selected by AI-driven technology still require the assurance of a human being to manage the process. Like most people today we would hesitate to ride in the back of autonomous vehicle and let the car drive wherever it wanted; rather, we still prefer our hands on the steering wheel just in case. This reliance on human intelligence makes sense since our own AI, our brain, is still the one who generates the questions the machine answers.
Popularity of ideas invariably leads to people jumping on the band wagon. It is no different with AI as many of today’s investment managers will tell you they have adopted AI as part of their process. We think these statements are broadly exaggerated and strongly suggest you look under the hood to see what’s there.
When you are evaluating an investment manager and trying to separate the authentic from the counterfeit ask three questions: are the data sets they talk about relevant in solving the investment question they are intended for; how developed and skilled are the “data scientists “ that work for them and finally are they using “machine learning “ as a term interchangeable with traditional quantitative methods.
Since its inception 10 years ago, Bristol Gate has been at the forefront in using data analytics in its investment strategy. This investment boutique knows how to navigate and deliver results in the digital age giving it a competitive advantage which has attracted the attention of the financial institutions on Bay Street, Wall Street and internationally.
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Important Disclosures
There is a risk of loss inherent in any investment; past performance is not indicative of future results. Prospective and existing investors in Bristol Gate’s pooled funds or ETF funds should refer to the fund’s offering documents which outline the risk factors associated with a decision to invest. Separately managed account clients should refer to disclosure documents provided which outline risks of investing. Pursuant to SEC regulations, a description of risks associated with Bristol Gate’s strategies is also contained in Bristol Gate’s Form ADV Part 2A located at www.bristolgate.com/regulatory-documents.
This piece is presented for illustrative and discussion purposes only. It should not be considered as personal investment advice or an offer or solicitation to buy and/or sell securities and it does not consider unique objectives, constraints, or financial needs of the individual. Under no circumstances does this piece suggest that you should time the market in any way or make investment decisions based on the content. Investors are advised that their investments are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. References to specific securities are presented to illustrate the application of our investment philosophy only, do not represent all of the securities purchased, sold or recommended for the portfolio, it should not be assumed that investments in the securities identified were or will be profitable and should not be considered recommendations by Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. A full list of security holdings is available upon request. For more information contact Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. directly. The information contained in this piece is the opinion of Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. and/or its employees as of the date of the piece and is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in this piece at the time of publication; however, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Market conditions may change and Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. accepts no responsibility for individual investment decisions arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained herein. We strongly recommend you consult with a financial advisor prior to making any investment decisions. Please refer to the Legal section of Bristol Gate’s website for additional information at bristolgate.com.
A Note About Forward-Looking Statements
This report may contain forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements about the Bristol Gate strategies, risks, expected performance and condition. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events and conditions or include words such as “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, “estimate” and similar forward-looking expressions or negative versions thereof. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the investment strategies, capital markets and economic factors, which could cause actual financial performance and expectations to differ materially from the anticipated performance or other expectations expressed. Economic factors include, but are not limited to, general economic, political and market factors in North America and internationally, interest and foreign exchange rates, global equity and capital markets, business competition, technological change, changes in government regulations, unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings, and catastrophic events. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and consider the above-mentioned factors and other factors carefully before making any investment decisions. All opinions contained in forward-looking statements are subject to change without notice and are provided in good faith. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. Bristol Gate Capital Partners Inc. has no specific intention of updating any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by securities legislation.
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