Examining the effectiveness of fundamental analysis in a long-term stock portfolio

Abstract

Over the past decade, a number of modern and sophisticated methods have been developed to optimize the composition of equity portfolios. Most of these methods are based on complex mathematical or financial modelling. Less emphasis has been placed on companies’ internal data, while in recent years external data have become increasingly important. However, for long-term investments, the dominance of external data is not necessarily an efficient way to construct an appropriate portfolio. In this paper, we highlight the phenomenon that complex mathematical models, the based on simpler fundamental indicators can also be an efficient investment tool for in making investment decisions. Our results show that our hypothesis has been confirmed that some basic-based indicators can achieve alpha returns. Our analysis is based on financial reporting data in the form of various financial indicators. We used the S&P500 index as benchmark. A comparative analysis of the stock portfolio created illustrates that basic analysis can be more effective than a chosen market-based stock index. By the end of the period under review, the portfolio based on the selected five core financial indicators had a market capitalization 1.68% higher than the benchmark. The alpha return achieved also demonstrates that even simpler models can be efficient and effective in creating an equity portfolio.