April Tidbits: The New Normal
In the April edition of Tidbits, we take a look at quant fund hiring, location data merger plans and give you a recap on the top sessions from our COVID-19-focused virtual summit.
Alternative Data News and Insight
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App Annie lays off portion of workforce
Mobile app analytics provider App Annie has laid off an unconfirmed number of its staff, citing changes in the “current macroeconomic climate.” -
COVID-19: 11 ways to assess the healthcare sector
As healthcare systems around the world are inundated and drug companies race to find a cure, we struggle to think of a time when healthcare stocks have been in the spotlight as much as they are today. In this report, we discuss 11 ways that investors can use alternative data to (a) broadly monitor the state of the healthcare sector, and (b) identify the companies that matter in the fight against COVID-19. -
Quant funds still hiring despite market downturn
Despite the recent market volatility and government guidance advising employees to work from home, hedge funds are still maintaining a strong recruiting presence for technical quant roles. -
Maxar Technologies partitions geospatial data business
Maxar Technologies has spun off its MDA business unit to a group of private equity investors led by Northern Private Capital. -
Can social media networks predict the spread of COVID-19?
Published literature finds that a region’s social connections to a COVID-19 hotspot correlates with a higher rate of confirmed cases. We summarise the findings of a research paper that uses social media data for Italy and the US to identify the relationship between social connections and spread of diseases. We also highlight several Neudata-listed data providers for readers interested in applying these findings to practice. -
Location data consolidations continue with PlaceIQ/Freckle IoT merger
Earlier this month, location data provider PlaceIQ announced it would acquire Freckle IoT, a Toronto-based retail footfall measurement company -
Nowcasting COVID-19 (Part II)
In Part II, we continue our assessment the alternative datasets that can enhance nowcasting models. In this report, we focus on the datasets that track business activity, consumer spending, oil prices, inflation and central bank sentiment. -
Search, survey data on track to predict shifting consumer behaviours
The habits that people form during the COVID outbreak are likely to shape consumer purchasing decisions for years to come. -
Healthcare data use cases soar in COVID-19 tracking
Investors are turning to unique sources of healthcare data to track public health outcomes in the face of COVID-19.
