From pandemic restrictions to conflicts between countries, geopolitical developments can have a huge impact on global and local economies. In this report, we highlight alternative datasets to help assess risk for a country’s economy, financial stability and international trade.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) now form a core part of investors’ portfolios, with the value of assets invested in them reaching an all-time high in 2023. However, datasets providing valuable insights into ETFs are rare due to the instrument’s tradability in both primary and secondary markets. In this report, we examine the available types of ETF data investors should be familiar with prior to onboarding their relevant product of choice.

ESG sentiment identifies the public perception of companies on material ESG issues and can provide early warnings of potential controversies. These alternative datasets can also help overcome some of the challenges of slow-moving ‘traditional’ ESG data, by offering more timely insights into a company’s sustainability performance and momentum. With significant product developments in the ESG sentiment data space, this report outlines key players in the market and some of the new use cases being developed.

Quantitative funds have been a driving force in alternative data adoption. But the range of appropriate datasets can be limited due to the specific characteristics required. In this intelligence piece, we consider which datasets are most popular among quant funds and why.