William Goetzmann reviews key contributions over the 75-year history of the <i>Financial Analysts Journal</i>, demonstrating how professional practice has evolved through give-and-take discussion of innovation versus established practice.
The Financial Analysts Journal is a leading forum for sharing knowledge about investment management. It often features academic research, but its focus has consistently been on practice and how new knowledge can support one of society’s most important endeavors: preserving and growing assets for our collective economic future. In this article, I review some key contributions about portfolio management published in this journal. The lively debates demonstrate how asset management has evolved through give-and-take discussion of innovation versus established practice. The Financial Analysts Journal has consistently introduced its readers to new ideas and methods. In doing so, it has greatly improved professional practice.