Dana D’Auria, director of research at Symmetry Partners, is on the lookout for ETFs that offer very liquid quality and momentum exposure in international or emerging markets.

Dana D'Auria Symmetry Partners Director of Research

“There’s really not much to choose from in that space that’s liquid in this stage of the game,” D’Auria tells MFWire.

The TAMP, based in Glastonbury, CT, designs and manages mutual fund and ETF model portfolios using a factor-based approach. Notably, the firm doesn’t charge fund firms for inclusion in the portfolios. Its partners include DFA, AQR, iShares, SPDR, and Vanguard ETFs.

Symmetry currently has $7.5 billion in combined assets under management and assets under advisement. The firm works with 4,000 unaffiliated advisors from approximately 170 RIAs and more than 100 broker-dealers.

D’Auria heads up a team of six, including two PhD consultants, that uses an academic-focused research approach. The team combs through academic literature and then figures out how to translate those findings into the typical vehicle for a retail investor.

“There’s no right answer to this stuff. You have to understand different viewpoints," D'Auria explains. "What makes the most sense for a retail client that’s saving for retirement or saving for college?”

On the mutual fund side, fund firms that are philosophically aligned with Symmetry’s passive, algorithmic approach will typically reach out with products that fit the bill. For the ETF portfolios, D’Auria’s team takes charge of the outreach, using Morningstar as a starting point, and then figuring out which funds will meet their needs.

“Liquidity is a huge piece for us with ETFs,” says D’Auria.

Symmetry was founded in 1994 by partners Dave Connelly and Patrick Sweeny as a fee-only RIA serving small institutional clients and retail investors. In 2002, the firm started working with financial advisors and small broker-dealers. 

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