Factor Investing, Built for the Buyside Analyst

An on-demand masterclass offering frameworks and tools to excel in factor-based investing and risk management.

Used by analysts at top hedge funds

Why Talented Investors Get Stuck and What to Do About It

You’re not short on ideas, but you're short on time, structure, and repeatability.

Most fundamental analysts weren’t taught how to think in terms of risk-reward factors. You’re expected to build conviction, justify position sizes, prep for IC, and manage team dynamics, all while the clock is ticking.

We built this course because too many talented investors get stuck:

  • Relying on intuition instead of a defined edge

  • Spending hours on a name, only to walk away without a clear sizing logic

  • Feeling like their process shifts every time a new macro theme hits

Factor thinking doesn’t replace your process; it sharpens it.

This course gives you frameworks used by top buyside investors to:

  • Make faster decisions without sacrificing depth

  • Spot mispricings through a more structured lens

  • Communicate risk-reward clearly to PMs and teammates

It’s not just about theory. It’s about moving faster, with more clarity, because your time (and your capital) are too valuable for guesswork.

Analyst thinking at desk

oUR gOAL:
Build a definitive masterclass for
factor investing & factor-based risk management

Have you heard this before?
You’re not alone.

  • “We manage capital in a beta-neutral, factor-constrained approach”

  • “We underperformed because our portfolio was underweight momentum & size factors”

  • “I would prefer not to cover that short, it would exacerbate our excess beta exposure”

  • “The crowding factor is having a -4 standard deviation move today”

let’s talk about what those quotes really mean.

You’ve probably heard lines like these in research decks or PM meetings.
They sound smart, but what do they actually tell you about the trade in front of you?

In Factor Academy, we teach you to decode that surface-level language, pressure-test your thesis with frameworks, and separate noise from real insight.

Watch this short info session to learn more about Factor Academy and

  • The core frameworks behind repeatable investment decisions

  • The mindset shifts that separate top-tier analysts

  • Why do our students apply this to their teams

Watch the walkthrough to see if Factor Academy is the right fit for you.

Click below to download the syllabus and info deck.

what‘s included in factor academy?

  • A hybrid of pre-recorded video modules and 9 monthly live sessions

  • Interactive Q&A during monthly live office hours sessions

  • Guest speaker sessions with specialized industry experts

  • Slide presentations and additional materials (such as Excel model samples) are available for download

  • Factor Lab for experiential learning, case studies, and free data vendor trials (for institutional investors only)

THE CURRICULUM

  • Factors for the Fundamental Investor

    1. What is a Factor? And Why Should I Care?

    2. The Building Blocks of Factor Analysis

    3. Factor Attribution & Return Decomposition

    4. Factor-Based Investing

    5. Factor-Based Risk Models

    6. Fundamental Investing in a Factor-Focused World

    Instructors:

    • Brett Caughran

    • Rich Falk-Wallace

    Guest Speakers:

    • Chad Myhre, the Allocator Perspective

    • Mark Carver, MSCI

    • Melissa Brown, Axioma

    Factor Lab:

    • Case Study: Consider Optimal
      Factor Hedge

  • Factor-Based Investing

    1. Frameworks for Factor-Based Investing

    2. Identifying Alpha with Factor Frameworks

    3. A Deep Dive Into Common Factors

    4. Applied Factor Investing

    5. Frameworks for Factor Timing

    6. "Quantamental" Factor Investing Approaches

    Instructors:

    • Brett Caughran

    • Rocky Cahan

    Guest Speakers:

    • Meb Faber, Factor-Based Investing

    • Wes Grey, Factor-Based Investing

    • Adam Parker, Trivariate

    Factor Lab:

    • Case Study: Construct
      "Quantamental" Portfolio

  • Factor-Based Risk Management

    1. "Alpha Machine" & the Rise of Factor Risk Models

    2. Statistics & Math for the Non-Quant

    3. How Factor Models Work

    4. Risk Decomposition & Volatility Prediction

    5. Performance Attribution

    6. Expanding Factor Libraries

    Instructors:

    • Brett Caughran

    • Rich Falk-Wallace

    Guest Speakers:

    • Giuseppe Paleologo, Risk 201

    • Sandeep Varma, Managing a Portfolio with a Factor Risk Model

    Factor Lab:

    • Case Study: Optimize Idio on a
      Native Portfolio

  • Factor-Aware Portfolio Management

    1. PM Toolkit for Factor-Constrained Investing

    2. Factors, Positioning & Crowding

    3. Themes, Baskets & Factor-Constrained Investing

    4. Factor-Aware Hedging Approaches

    5. Lessons Learned (the Hard Way)

    6. Portfolio Management in a Factor-Focused World

    Instructors:

    • Brett Caughran

    • Rich Falk-Wallace

    Guest Speakers:

    • Jared Kubin

    • Omer Cedar

    Factor Lab:

    • Case Study: Express Theme,
      Factor-Constrained

Factor Academy Core Instructors

  • Brett Caughran

    HEAD TRAINER

    Area of Specialty: PM Experience at Multiple Firms

    Brett brings 13yrs of hedge fund experience at Maverick, D.E. Shaw, Citadel, Two Sigma & Schonfeld.

    Brett founded Fundamental Edge in 2022 to help improve training on the buy-side. Brett has led over 750 buy-side analysts through Analyst Academy and has designed and delivered numerous custom analyst training programs.

  • Rich Falk-wallace

    QUANT INSTRUCTOR

    Area of Specialty: Factor Risk Management

    Rich brings 8 years on the buyside at Silver Point, Viking Global & Citadel as a Portfolio Manager.

    Rich is currently Co-Founder & CEO of Arcana, an equity-factor risk model focused on risk & performance.

  • Rocky Cahan

    QUANT INSTRUCTOR

    Area of Specialty: Factor Based Investing

    Rocky is a Portfolio Strategist at Empirical Research Partners, focusing on research from stock selection to macroeconomic analysis since 2013.

    Previously, he led Deutsche Bank's top-ranked U.S. Quantitative Strategy team and held roles at Macquarie Bank and Citigroup, with published work in prominent finance journals.

Learn From Investors Who’ve Actually Done It

This isn’t just theory. Our instructors bring real experience to every lesson.

What Students Have To Say About Factor Academy

Real Voices From the Buyside

You won’t just learn our frameworks, you’ll hear how senior investors across the industry apply them. From PMs to allocators, these are the conversations that rarely happen in public.

Guest Speakers:

Complementary perspectives to explore factors from all angles

  • Giuseppe Paleologo

    Head of Quant Research at Balyasny, former Risk Management, Millennium, Citadel, Hudson River

  • ADAM PARKER

    Founder - Trivariate research, Former Eminence & Morgan Stanley

  • Mark Carver

    Global Head of Equity Factors & Equity Portfolio Management, MSCI

  • Sandeep Varma

    Co-founder & CEO - Equity Data Science, Former Bridger & Herring Creek

  • Wes Sapp

    Research Analyst, Empirical Research Partners

  • Melissa brown

    Global Head of Investment Decision Research, SimCorp (Axioma)

  • Chad Myrhe

    Managing Director, Alfred L. Dupont Charitable Trust

  • Omer Cedar

    Co-Founder & CEO, Omega Point Former Two Sigma

  • Meb Faber

    Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Cambria Investment Management

  • WES GRAY

    CEO, Alpha Architect

  • Jared kubin

    Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Issachar Technologies

  • Marc Greenberg

    Founder, Greener Pastures

  • Rob Arnott

    Founder and Chairman, Research Affiliates

  • Mahmood Noorani

    CEO, Quant Insight

FAQs

  • You do not need a model subscription. However, we do offer free data vendor trials for institutional investors.

  • Yes, once enrolled, you will get immediate access to the content.