Alternative Data News and Insight

Historically, environmental performance data has heavily relied upon disclosure information, which companies are not always obligated to report on. However, recent technological developments have enabled us to measure environmental performance in more advanced ways. These datasets can 1) attribute point sources of invisible greenhouse gas emissions via remote satellite technology, and 2) quantify ESG-related intellectual capital through patent filing analysis.

In 2018, we published a piece discussing the potential correlations between trademark registration volume and firm financial performance. But what about the macroeconomic use case? One year later, we investigate whether trademark filing volume can provide an aggregate indicator of business cycle shifts.

Investors may want to pay more attention to intangible assets. As a percentage of total assets on S&P 500 constituents’ balance sheets, intangibles have risen from 17% in 1975 to over 84% today. Many datasets that measure intangibles are relatively unknown and under-utilized – perhaps offering a degree of edge to some investors. In this report we outline where to find alternative data sources that measure 3 types of intangibles: 1) brand value, 2) human capital and 3) intellectual property.

At Neudata we have seen increased interest in alternative datasets that offer insights into a given company’s Intellectual Property. We explain 1) why we think this is, 2) why we believe trademark data is particularly interesting, 3) empirical studies that support this view, and 4) recommended providers to use in order to access trademark data.