The Rise of Data-Driven Investing

When JCPenney reported its financial results for 2Q 2015, it came as quite a shock to the market. The US retail giant outperformed most analyst expectations, which subsequently led to a 10% surge in its stock price over the next 2 days. But not everyone was caught off guard… RSMetrics, a Big Data intelligence firm for businesses and investors, used satellite imagery of JCPenney parking lots during the quarter to confirm that traffic into its stores across the country was in fact increasing. The firm’s clients (mostly hedge funds) who paid to obtain this satellite imagery could thus deduce, virtually…...