New Delhi, May 15 -- Most investors struggle with one question: what stock to buy. But what if investing wasn't about finding the next multi-bagger, but about backing a pattern that repeats over time? Factor investing is built on this idea.

Instead of chasing individual stocks, factor investing targets specific traits or investment styles, such as value (undervalued stocks), momentum (stocks that are in an uptrend), or quality (stocks of financially strong companies). Different factors outperform at different points in the market cycle.

Factor investing, in that sense, sits right in the middle of active and passive investing. It doesn't actively rely on stock-picking calls, but neither does it blindly track market-cap indices. Instead, ...