
It is common practice to refer to a factor premium’s current valuation when assessing its attractiveness—in effect using a single-value-factor model to gauge whether the factor is rich, fairly valued, or cheap. Meanwhile, studies have investigated how some factor premia are exposed to other factor premia in order to characterize their behavior over time. This article questions the utility of employing factors to time factors by examining the issue through the lenses of both normative and positive asset pricing theory, while also shedding some light on the potential impact of crowding on factor attractiveness. The author believes that attempting to time factors using other factors is generally of limited value and that factor timers would be better served by focusing on the underlying rationale believed to give rise to these premia.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 8 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
