Factor Momentum and the Momentum Factor

Momentum in individual stock returns emanates from momentum in factor returns. Most factors are positively autocorrelated: the average factor earns a monthly return of 6 basis points following a year of losses and 51 basis points following a positive year. We find that factor momentum concentrates in factors that explain more of the cross section of returns and that it is not incidental to individual stock momentum: momentum-neutral factors display more momentum. Momentum found in high-eigenvalue PC factors subsumes all forms of individual stock momentum. Our results suggest that momentum is not a distinct risk factor; it times other factors.