Factor Momentum

Abstract

Past industry returns predict future industry returns, and this predictability is at its strongest at the one-month horizon. We show that the cross section of factor returns shares this property and that industry momentum stems from factor momentum. Factor momentum transmits into the cross section of industry returns through variation in industries’ factor loadings. We show that momentum in "systematic industries," mimicking portfolios built from factors, subsumes industry momentum as does momentum in industry-neutral factors. Industry momentum is therefore a byproduct of factor momentum, not vice versa. Momentum concentrates in its entirety in the first few highest-eigenvalue factors.

Keywords: Factor momentum, factor investing, industry momentum, principal component factors

JEL Classification: G1, G14