Together with BattleFin, Exabel has just launched our 2025 research report: “Alternative Data Buy-Side Insights & Trends”. The report gathers insights from 130 fundamental portfolio managers and analysts on the application of alternative data in investment management.
The demand for alternative data as a crucial component of alpha generation for institutional investors continues to accelerate in 2025. With mature datasets now widely used as a foundation for research, investment professionals are shifting their focus toward more diverse data sources and advanced technology and analytics to enhance their investment strategies.
In January 2025, we commissioned the market research company Pureprofile to conduct a study with 130 fundamental portfolio managers and investment analysts, to capture their views on alternative data. The survey respondents are based in the US, UK, Singapore and Hong Kong, and collectively manage ~$820 billion in assets.
Key Findings:
- 98% of investment managers agreed that “traditional data/official figures are becoming too slow in reflecting changes in economic activity”
- 75% of investment managers said that consumer spending datasets would provide “an outsized informational edge in the near future”
- 79% of investment managers said that combining data from different sources was the most frustrating challenge when working with alternative data
- 85% of investment managers stated that their use of third-party software for managing and using alternative data would increase over the next 5 years
To read the full report and discover insights on alternative data in investment management, click below.