Relative Sentiment Technologies

Relative Sentiment Technologies was founded in 2021 as an outgrowth of 7 years of pioneering research into how investor positioning affects asset prices. Decades of academic and practitioner studies have revealed what most people intuitively know to be true–that institutional investors tend to have better financial market outcomes than individual investors. This dynamic shows up globally and across asset classes–most likely because of the inherent structural advantages that institutions possess (namely, better information networks, deeper pools of human capital, and the ability to influence the prevailing market narrative). Throw in the deep-seated cognitive biases that persistently plague retail investors and it’s simply not a fair fight. Notably, recent empirical work has shown that by comparing the positions, flows, and attitudes of institutions to those of individuals, we often arrive at more powerful signals regarding future market direction than we otherwise would if we were to view those sentiments solely on a standalone basis. This is the essence of “relative sentiment.” At RST, we focus on the research, development, and deployment of systematic relative sentiment strategies–both tactical and strategic–across asset classes. We offer our services via an exchange-traded fund and through outsourced CIO relationships with registered investment advisors (RIAs). Our mission is to observe and respect the “Smart Money” and to help investors align their portfolios accordingly.