SI394: The Quarter That Tested Every Trend Follower ft. Katy Kaminski & Harry Moore

Markets rarely offer clarity when it matters most. In this episode, together with Katy Kaminski and Harry Moore, we reflect on a first quarter defined by sharp reversals, energy shocks, and rising dispersion across strategies. They explain how trend following adapted as leadership flipped across asset classes, and why results varied more than many expected. The conversation moves beyond performance to examine portfolio construction, from market selection and speed to the growing relevance of portable alpha. Along the way, they revisit periods of drawdown, investor behavior, and the role of liquidity in crisis environments, offering a grounded perspective on how systematic strategies respond when conditions change quickly.
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Episode TimeStamps:
00:00 - Introduction and episode framing
01:38 - Market backdrop and Q1 volatility
07:29 - Trend following performance through Q1
09:36 - Diversification vs equities and bonds
11:21 - Dispersion across managers explained
14:32 - Trend vs non trend strategies
18:40 - A month that tested every component of trend
21:17 - Optimal market mix and research insights
30:00 - Macro factors and what trend captures
35:57 - Portable alpha and cash efficiency
42:23 - Risks in portable alpha construction
49:04 - Drawdowns and investor behavior
53:37 - Why trend recovers after shocks
01:00:51 - Measuring alpha in macro strategies
01:06:51 - Geopolitics and future opportunities
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