Evidence-based investing research
Value Investing Strategy (Strategy Overview)
Allocations for November 2026 (Final)
Cash TLT LQD SPY
Momentum Investing Strategy (Strategy Overview)
Allocations for November 2026 (Final)
1st ETF 2nd ETF 3rd ETF

Comparing Long-term Returns of U.S. Equity Factors

Steve LeCompte | | Posted in: Calendar Effects, Equity Premium, Momentum Investing, Size Effect, Value Premium, Volatility Effects

Guide Calendar Effects Other calendar research

Key Insight

Across 153 published U.S. equity factors, gross market alpha is inversely associated with gross market beta (R-squared 0.41; monthly returns, July 1963–December 2021; descriptive, gross of costs; not a trading test).

What characteristics of U.S. equity factor return series are most relevant to respective factor performance? In his May 2023 paper entitled "The Cross-Section of Factor Returns" David Blitz explores long-term average returns and market alphas, 60-month market betas and factor performance cyclicality for U.S. equity factors. He also assesses potentials of three factor rotation strategies: low-beta, seasonal and return momentum. Using monthly returns for 153 published U.S. equity market factors, classified statistically into 13 groups, during July 1963 through December 2021, he finds that:

Subscribe to Keep Reading

Get the research edge serious investors rely on.

  • 1,200+ research articles
  • Monthly strategy signals
  • 20+ years of backtested analysis
$17.99 /month

Cancel anytime

Calendar Effects guide

More on other calendar research

  • Predictable Monthly Pattern for TLT? Premium TLT average cumulative raw returns show a U-shaped monthly pattern bottoming in the first third of the month; a latter-month-only holding rule is reported…
  • Testing a QQQ Swing Trade Strategy Premium QQQ swing trade (buy Mon/Tue close if (Close-Low)/(High-Low) ≤0.15; sell at close above prior-day high; else T-bills) had breakeven one-way frictions of about 0.25%…
  • Tug-of-war Risk and Future Stock Returns Free Stocks with high negative tug-of-war intensity outperformed by 0.92% monthly (top vs bottom decile; May 1993–Dec 2017; negative overnight-intraday reversal frequency; U.S. stocks).
  • Global Factor Premiums Over the Very Long Run Free Global factor premiums show 0.41 average gross Sharpe ratio with trend, carry, and seasonality strongest across equity, bond, commodity, and currency markets (1800-2016; out-of-sample…
  • Isolating Desirable Turnover via Separate Alpha and Beta Portfolios Free Separating alpha and beta portfolios (composite long-short strategy) outperformed conventional long-only factor tilting by 1.3% post-tax annually (9.7% vs 9.5% pre-tax; 25-year simulations; monthly…

All 183 articles in the Calendar Effects guide