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Dr Rand Low
Dr

Rand Low

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Overview

Background

Rand Low is Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Queensland and an Associate Professor of Quantitative Finance at Bond Business School.

Assoc. Professor Rand Low’s research areas are in asset and investments management, specifically correlation/dependence modelling, portfolio optimization, risk management, systematic trading strategies and commodities investing strategies. His work has been published in leading academic and industry journals such as Journal of Banking & Finance, Quantitative Finance, Journal of Empirical Finance, Journal of Investing, Journal of Commodities Markets, Resource Policy, and Journal of Risk. Rand is an avid supporter of Open Access Journals and multi-disciplinary research. He is an Editor of the Special Issue of Mathematics: Mathematical Models and Applications in Finance (Impact Factor: 2.6; Q1 Journal Ranking)

Prior to his PhD studies, Assoc Prof. Professor Low worked in control systems engineering and management roles for Honeywell for landmark engineering projects such as GOMA, SLQ, Brisbane Square, Mater Mothers' Hospital, St Andrews Hospital, and more where he achieved the Chartered Engineer designation from Engineers Australia. During his PhD studies, he won the GSITA Award and 3MT competitions. Upon completing his PhD, he received the Dean's Award for Research Higher Degree Excellence, a research fellowship on portfolio optimization & risk management techniques for financial crises and an Australia Awards - Endeavour fellow. He has been a visiting research fellow at the New York University - Stern School of Business, and an Australian Institute of Business and Economis (AIBE) Scholar He has also had Visiting Research Fellow appointments at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK and Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Assoc. Prof Low research expertise has allowed him to successfully transition into industry as he has worked at the global headquarters of Bank of America Merrill Lynch and BlackRock in New York City. He led teams of quantitative researchers in building mathematical models for market/credit/operational risk, securities lending, structured products, asset-backed securities, and portfolio management. He has also defended quantitative model development practices on behalf of these institutions to US regulators such as the Federal Reserve (FED) and the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC). He is worked on quantiative model stress-testing, model risk management practices, and model risk governance for major global financial institutions.

Assoc. Professor Low’s is interested in applying statistical and machine learning techniques in automating business processes and investments management in areas such as corporate credit ratings, robo-advisors, digital assets (i.e., cryptocurrencies, blockchain), commodities, and systematic active investment strategies.

Availability

Dr Rand Low is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Multi-asset portfolio optimization (Commodities, Fixed Income, Private Equity)

  • Dependence modelling for financial crises (Vine copulas, Factor copulas)

  • Digital assets & cryptocurrency (Ethereum, Stablecoin, Privatecoin)

  • Credit risk, market risk & operational risk (PD/LGD/EAD, VaR/CVaR)

  • Systematic trading strategies (Factor-Investing, Event-Driven)

Research impacts

Professor Low has frequently contributed his academic and industry insights into topical issues in global financial markets, the Australian economy, interest rates, cryptocurrencies, and investing & retirement with national newspapers and trade publications (e.g., Australian Financial Review, Courier Mail, BBC, Australian Stock Exchange, Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange, news.com.au, 7news, Newsweek, etc.). He has been quoted as the "DIY recession guy" appearing on interviews with Channel 9: The Today Show, Channel 10 The Project, and Channel 10 News. He has also been interviewed several times on ABC Brisbane Mornings with Steve Austin on the state of the Australian economy, inflation rates & risks, and the Australian Federal Budget 2024. He has also been called to parliament for the Inquiry into the Development of the Australian Corporate Bond Market and provided advice on how to increase Australian retail investment into corporate bonds.

Based on Professor Low's research expertise in the application of copulas in portfolio optimization and risk management, he has led quantitative research & development teams in the world's pre-eminent buy-side and sell-side financial institutions in Manhattan, NYC. He is a consultant and advisor to financial technology firms such such as BitOrb (Digital Assets Derivatives Exchange) and the Australian Bond Exchange (Fixed Income Products Exchange).

Works

Search Professor Rand Low’s works on UQ eSpace

21 works between 2013 and 2024

1 - 20 of 21 works

Featured

2019

Journal Article

Cryptocurrency and blockchains: retail to institutional

Low, Rand and Marsh, Terry (2019). Cryptocurrency and blockchains: retail to institutional. Journal of Investing, 29 (1), 18-30. doi: 10.3905/joi.2019.1.102

Cryptocurrency and blockchains: retail to institutional

Featured

2016

Journal Article

The profitability of pairs training strategies: distance, cointegration and copula methods

Rad, Hossein, Low, Rand Kwong Yew and Faff, Robert (2016). The profitability of pairs training strategies: distance, cointegration and copula methods. Quantitative Finance, 16 (10), 1541-1558. doi: 10.1080/14697688.2016.1164337

The profitability of pairs training strategies: distance, cointegration and copula methods

Featured

2016

Journal Article

Diamonds vs. precious metals: what shines brightest in your investment portfolio?

Low, Rand Kwong Yew, Yao, Yiran and Faff, Robert (2016). Diamonds vs. precious metals: what shines brightest in your investment portfolio?. International Review of Financial Analysis, 43, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.irfa.2015.11.002

Diamonds vs. precious metals: what shines brightest in your investment portfolio?

Featured

2013

Journal Article

Canonical vine copulas in the context of modern portfolio management: are they worth it?

Low, Rand Kwong Yew, Alcock, Jamie, Faff, Robert and Brailsford, Timothy J. (2013). Canonical vine copulas in the context of modern portfolio management: are they worth it?. Journal of Banking and Finance, 37 (8), 3085-3099. doi: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2013.02.036

Canonical vine copulas in the context of modern portfolio management: are they worth it?

2024

Journal Article

Complements or substitutes? The effect of ETFs on other managed funds

Tang, Lu, Tan, Eric K.M. and Low, Rand (2024). Complements or substitutes? The effect of ETFs on other managed funds. International Review of Financial Analysis, 95 103414, 103414. doi: 10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103414

Complements or substitutes? The effect of ETFs on other managed funds

2024

Journal Article

Determinants of corporate credit ratings: Does ESG matter?

Michalski, Lachlan and Low, Rand Kwong Yew (2024). Determinants of corporate credit ratings: Does ESG matter?. International Review of Financial Analysis, 94 103228, 103228. doi: 10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103228

Determinants of corporate credit ratings: Does ESG matter?

2023

Journal Article

The commodity risk premium and neural networks

Rad, Hossein, Low, Rand Kwong Yew, Miffre, Joëlle and Faff, Robert (2023). The commodity risk premium and neural networks. Journal of Empirical Finance, 74 101433, 1-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jempfin.2023.101433

The commodity risk premium and neural networks

2023

Journal Article

Does time frame of IPO proceeds predict survival of firms? Evidence from the Malaysian market

Alyasa-Gan, Siti Sarah, Che-Yahya, Norliza and Low, Rand Kwong Yew (2023). Does time frame of IPO proceeds predict survival of firms? Evidence from the Malaysian market. Journal of Emerging Market Finance, 22 (4), 359-381. doi: 10.1177/09726527231178086

Does time frame of IPO proceeds predict survival of firms? Evidence from the Malaysian market

2023

Journal Article

Foundation of a framework for evaluating the impact of mining technological innovation on a company's market value

Mugebe, P., Kizil, M.S., Yahyaei, M. and Low, R. (2023). Foundation of a framework for evaluating the impact of mining technological innovation on a company's market value. Resources Policy, 85 103913, 103913. doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103913

Foundation of a framework for evaluating the impact of mining technological innovation on a company's market value

2022

Journal Article

The strategic allocation to style-integrated portfolios of commodity futures

Rad, Hossein, Low, Rand Kwong Yew, Miffre, Joëlle and Faff, Robert (2022). The strategic allocation to style-integrated portfolios of commodity futures. Journal of Commodity Markets, 28 100259, 1-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jcomm.2022.100259

The strategic allocation to style-integrated portfolios of commodity futures

2022

Journal Article

Foundation of a framework for evaluating the impact of mining technological innovation on a company's market value

Mugebe, Pilot, Yahyaei, Mohsen and Low, Rand Kwong Yew (2022). Foundation of a framework for evaluating the impact of mining technological innovation on a company's market value. SSRN Electronic Journal, 1-25. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.4036259

Foundation of a framework for evaluating the impact of mining technological innovation on a company's market value

2020

Journal Article

Does sophistication of the weighting scheme enhance the performance of long-short commodity portfolios?

Rad, Hossein, Low, Rand Kwong Yew, Miffre, Joëlle and Faff, Robert (2020). Does sophistication of the weighting scheme enhance the performance of long-short commodity portfolios?. Journal of Empirical Finance, 58, 164-180. doi: 10.1016/j.jempfin.2020.05.006

Does sophistication of the weighting scheme enhance the performance of long-short commodity portfolios?

2019

Journal Article

Guest editorial: Cryptocurrency and blockchain: tulip mania or digital promise for the millennial generation?

Marsh, Terry and Low, Rand (2019). Guest editorial: Cryptocurrency and blockchain: tulip mania or digital promise for the millennial generation?. Studies in Economics and Finance, 36 (1), 2-7. doi: 10.1108/SEF-03-2019-355

Guest editorial: Cryptocurrency and blockchain: tulip mania or digital promise for the millennial generation?

2018

Journal Article

BV–VPIN: measuring the impact of order flow toxicity and liquidity on international equity markets

Low, Rand, Li, Te and Marsh, Terry (2018). BV–VPIN: measuring the impact of order flow toxicity and liquidity on international equity markets. Journal of Risk, 21 (2), 63-97. doi: 10.21314/jor.2018.399

BV–VPIN: measuring the impact of order flow toxicity and liquidity on international equity markets

2018

Journal Article

Vine copulas: modelling systemic risk and enhancing higher-moment portfolio optimisation

Low, Rand Kwong Yew (2018). Vine copulas: modelling systemic risk and enhancing higher-moment portfolio optimisation. Accounting and Finance, 58 (S1), 423-463. doi: 10.1111/acfi.12274

Vine copulas: modelling systemic risk and enhancing higher-moment portfolio optimisation

2018

Journal Article

Monitoring transmission of systemic risk: application of partial least squares structural equation modeling in financial stress testing

Avkiran, Necmi K., Ringle, Christian M. and Low, Rand (2018). Monitoring transmission of systemic risk: application of partial least squares structural equation modeling in financial stress testing. Journal of Risk, 20 (5), 83-115. doi: 10.21314/JOR.2018.386

Monitoring transmission of systemic risk: application of partial least squares structural equation modeling in financial stress testing

2017

Book Chapter

Canonical vine copulas in the context of modern portfolio management : are they worth it?

Low, Rand Kwong Yew, Alcock, Jamie, Faff, Robert and Brailsford, Timothy (2017). Canonical vine copulas in the context of modern portfolio management : are they worth it?. Asymmetric dependence in finance : diversification, correlation and portfolio management in market downturns. (pp. 263-289) edited by Jamie Alcock and Stephen Satchell. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: John Wiley and Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781119288992.ch11

Canonical vine copulas in the context of modern portfolio management : are they worth it?

2016

Journal Article

The role of analyst forecasts in the momentum effect

Low, Rand Kwong Yew and Tan, Enoch (2016). The role of analyst forecasts in the momentum effect. International Review of Financial Analysis, 48, 67-84. doi: 10.1016/j.irfa.2016.09.007

The role of analyst forecasts in the momentum effect

2016

Journal Article

Enhancing mean-variance portfolio selection by modeling distributional asymmetries

Low, Rand Kwong Yew, Faff, Robert and Aas, Kjersti (2016). Enhancing mean-variance portfolio selection by modeling distributional asymmetries. Journal of Economics and Business, 85, 49-72. doi: 10.1016/j.jeconbus.2016.01.003

Enhancing mean-variance portfolio selection by modeling distributional asymmetries

2015

Journal Article

Is diversification always optimal?

Humphrey, Jacquelyn E., Benson, Karen L., Low, Rand K.Y. and Lee, Wei-Lun (2015). Is diversification always optimal?. Pacific Basin Finance Journal, 35 (Part B), 521-532. doi: 10.1016/j.pacfin.2015.09.003

Is diversification always optimal?

Funding

Past funding

  • 2014 - 2015
    The role of risk adjusted return metrics in retirement choices
    Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2016
    Portfolio optimization & risk management techniques for financial crises
    UQ Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Dr Rand Low is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Available projects

  • Corporate credit risk ratings (Statistical Learning, Machine Learning)

  • Robo-advisors (Dynamic Portfolio Optimization, Bellman Equation)

  • Multi-asset portfolio optimization (Hedge funds, Commodities, Fixed income)

  • Digital Assets & Cryptocurrency

  • Copulas and dependence modelling (Vine copulas, Archimedean copulas)

  • Statistical arbitrage (Pairs trading, Risk arbitrage, Event studies)

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Tree-based, deep learning and sentiment analysis applications to corporate credit ratings

    Associate Advisor

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

Contact Dr Rand Low directly for media enquiries about:

  • bitcoin
  • corporate bonds
  • cryptocurrency
  • digital assets
  • downside risk
  • economy
  • ethereum
  • factor investing
  • fixed income
  • inflation rates
  • investments
  • portfolio management
  • portfolio optimization
  • retirement planning
  • risk management
  • superannuation

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au