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Adam Bain and the Price Momentum Strategy

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ADAM BAIN AND THE PRICE MOMENTUM STRATEGY

In February 1995, Adam Bain, investment advisor in the London, Ontario branch of RBC Dominion Securities Inc. (RBC DS), was considering whether or not to implement a price momentum strategy for his clients. Trend and Cycle, DS’s technical research department, had recently circulated a copy of a study which described a simple price momentum model and referred to its “startling results” based on back testing the strategy over a 15 year period. The Trend and Cycle group had long promoted the importance of price momentum and relative strength to potential clients. Bain needs to determine whether the proposed model was “too good to be true” or, if it did not look promising, how he would go about …show more content…

His client base had grown primarily due to referrals, often from Royal Bank branch managers. His primary source of income was through commissions charged on products sold. For example, typical stock commissions ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 percent depending on the size of the transaction.

Bain’s clients’ portfolios included equities (both common and preferred) as well as fixed income securities and small amounts of cash (typically “parked” on a short term basis before being allocated to fixed income or equities). Typical portfolios were approximately 60% equities and 40% fixed income, 70% domestic and 30% international. Approximately one third of equity investments were through mutual funds. Approximately 25% of client assets were included in tax sheltered Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs). As of 1991, Bain’s clients were primarily over age 70. As of 1995, his client base had evolved to become much younger, with a median age of around 50. his clients were dominated by professionals.

Bain summed up his investment philosophy as follows:

I strive to provide my clients with the best possible investment advice and service by employing proven investment strategies and techniques in order to achieve superior investment returns over the long term. I keep my business simple and straightforward in order to ensure that clients understand and easily participate in our ongoing

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