Source: Zacks Investment Research

Zacks Advantage Earns Top Spot in Robo Performance Rankings. The Actively Managed, Boutique Robo Advisor, Tops Robo Report Ranking for First Time.

Chicago, Nov. 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the latest edition of Backend Benchmarking’s The Robo Report, an ongoing study that monitors the performance of the most well-known robo advisors, Zacks Advantage was ranked #1 in performance year-to-date among the top 26 Robo Advisors. This accomplishment is noteworthy considering the group monitored includes many of the largest banks and financial institutions in automated investing.

To get an accurate picture of how robo advisors perform and what services they provide, the authors of the Robo Report opened, funded, and invested in specific portfolios some of the top robo advisory firms. They publish their findings each quarter, with reports on performance, fees, allocation decisions, services, and more.

In the 9th edition of the Robo Report covering the third quarter of 2018, Zacks Advantage was named the top performer in the equity category and also for overall total portfolio performance year to date. An accomplishment that Mitch Zacks, principal and Senior Portfolio Manager at Zacks Investment Management says, “Given the high level of ‘competition’ includes dozens of large, well established financial institutions, we’re delighted by the recognition.”

According to third-quarter data provided by The Robo Report; comparable year-to-date performers were led by Zacks Advantage in the first place, followed by Fidelity Go and Wells Fargo respectively. The inevitable down market and recent heightened market volatility have put investors to the test and pressure on the stagnate, set it and forget it, robo asset allocators. Zacks Advantage is different in that respect since they actively manage their portfolios and can be more pro-active and reactive to ongoing market conditions, a distinction that Mitch Zacks further commented on, “The report noted that Zacks Advantage’s allocation to large-cap equities helped over the quarter. While this is indeed true, the report misses what we consider the secret sauce of the Zacks Advantage platform – the fact that we apply our proprietary research to our decision-making process. What ETFs to own, how to allocate to each position, how to adjust based on market conditions. Our tactical, active approach to the robo advisory platform is what sets us apart, in our view.”

Zacks added, “this #1 ranking is a direct affirmation that Zacks Advantage’s unique active management approach sets our automated investment offering apart and allows us to compete effectively against the larger player in the automated investment management industry.”

About Zacks Advantage

Zacks Advantage combines the 30 Years of Investment Expertise with Automated Investment Technology to deliver a low fee, performance-driven automated financial advisory service suitable for nearly anyone regardless of how much they have to invest. At the core of the Zacks, Advantage robo platform is the parent firms, Zacks Investment Management, unique active management take on the industry-standard Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT).

Zacks Advantage leverages these functions and then layers on our expertise to “inform” the algorithm what the allocation should be. Left to their own, robo advisors won’t adjust holdings based on changing economic or market conditions. For example, if a particular group of stocks gains favor or a specific sector becomes unattractive – robo advisors typically can’t adapt as human advisors can. But they can be programmed by a human advisor – in this case, the portfolio managers at Zacks Advantage – to make those changes based on our input.

In this way, Zacks Advantage is taking all of the most useful applications of a robo advisor, and adding on the expertise we’ve accumulated over the years through the Zacks research-driven approach. For more information on ZacksAdvantage Online Financial Advisor visit www.ZacksAdvantage.com.

DISCLOSURE

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.

Zacks Advantage was ranked by The Robo Report as the best Year-to-Date Top Performers for Total Portfolio and Equity in the digital advice industry. In addition, Zacks Advantage ranked second in the 1-Year Trailing Top Performer. The information was taken from the third quarter 2018 - The Robo Report - Edition 9. The Robo Report is a resource for both investors and professionals interested in the digital advice industry wherein they study and monitor the most well-known advisors in the digital advice industry. The Robo Report opened up, funded, and sought specific portfolios at various robo advisors with the goal to have the most aggressive (highest stock) allocation across the portfolios; allowing The Robo Report to measure performance and compare how funds are invested as equally as possible. This ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience. In addition, it is not indicative of future performance.