Systematic Macro Scoring for Equity Trading

One of the main tools I use for systematic equity trading is what I call "macro momentum." What do I mean by that?

While building my trading process, I was looking for a way to systematize my decisions. I wanted a broad framework that incorporated macro variables—GDP, inflation, budget balance, and so on—combined with cross-sectional scoring. The idea was to develop macro biases that, when overlaid with some basic reasoning and narrative analysis, could help generate actionable trade ideas.

By chance, I came across this AQR paper:
https://www.aqr.com/Insights/Research/White-Papers/Economic-Trend

I’ve been using the table from that paper as inspiration to generate trade ideas and then implement them systematically. It’s a way to simplify my life. At the end of the day, my goal as a trader is to make money, not to impress anyone with complexity. Without practical tools, you’ll constantly second-guess yourself—and that means you won’t trade.