The 2nd Future of Financial Information conference, originally slated for an in-person gathering in Stockholm, successfully transitioned to a virtual format in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Chaired by Michał Dzieliński, the event unfolded from May 27th to May 29th, featuring keynote speakers Darrell Duffie and Lily Fang, offering a deep dive into the complexities of the financial landscape.
The first day commenced with sessions on financial analysts, showcasing presentations by William Gerken of the University of Kentucky and Marius Zoican from the University of Toronto. The day concluded with a keynote session by Darrell Duffie, addressing the redesign of US Treasury Markets post-COVID-19.
Day two delved into (mis)information in mutual funds, with Huaizhi Chen of the University of Notre Dame and Simona Abis of Columbia Business School among the presenters. The day explored topics like data mining, trading signals diversity, and cross-asset information, providing a rich array of insights.
On the final day, sessions unfolded on decomposing information, where Eliza Wu from the University of Sydney and Manuel Adelino from Duke University explored what moved stock prices and the role of news and information in corporate loan pricing. The day culminated with a keynote session by Lily Fang, examining the limits of diversification in passive investments.
Despite the challenges inherent in online conferences, such as limitations in forming new connections, participants expressed satisfaction, emphasizing that the virtual format allowed them to attend the conference when physical presence might have been impossible. Feedback we have received, highlighted the success of the event, showcasing positive aspects like high-caliber discussions and effective use of platforms like Slack.
Organizing the conference amidst a global pandemic, in a format completely new to us, was certainly challenging and a steep learning curve. However, we felt that proceeding with the 2nd edition was crucial to lay the foundation for the continued success of the FutFinInfo project. We feel vindicated and rewarded by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants and already look forward to hosting the 3rd edition next year – whatever its format may be.
Dates: 27-29 May 2020
Venue: Stockholm Business School, Sweden
Keynote speakers: Darrell Duffie (Stanford University) and Lily Fang (INSEAD)
Program chair: Michał Dzieliński (Stockholm Business School)
Photo gallery
