A new report out by a Wall Street data guru found that long-term investments in research and development (R&D) yields companies outsized gains—frequently doubling the performance of the S&P 500. Head of quantitative investment strategy at Nomura Instinet, Joseph Mezrich recently compiled an “Innovation Index” that tracks stock market and financial performance tied to R&D spend. According to a report by CNN Business on the index, heavy investors in R&D made more than a 25% return over the last year:
Mezrich’s “Innovation Index” also has a great long-term track record. It has topped the broader market for the past 10, 20, and nearly 40 years. Since 1990, the Innovation Index has returned 20% on average, compared to 10% for the S&P 500 and 15.6% for the Nasdaq 100.
