Zacks Investment Management

What Zacks Investment Management does

Zacks Investment Management is a Chicago-based, family-owned investment advisory firm founded in 1992 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zacks Investment Research. The firm provides actively managed investment strategies to three distinct customer segments: financial professionals (its primary channel), high-net-worth private clients served through the Private Client Group, and institutional investors. Its core product platform comprises five separately managed account (SMA) strategies — All Cap Core, Focus Growth, Small-Cap Core, Mid-Cap Core, and Dividend — alongside actively managed ETF model portfolios, mutual funds, custom SMAs, and the recently launched Zacks Income ETF (ZINC) and Zacks Preferred Income ETF (PRIZ) introduced in June 2026.

The firm's investment process is built on a proprietary earnings estimate revision framework developed over 40 years of independent research, centered on the widely recognized Zacks Rank stock classification system and complemented by a quantitative ETF Rank System. The investment team includes Ph.D.s, CFA charterholders, and seasoned portfolio managers who apply proprietary alpha models, mean-variance optimization, and daily independent research inputs to construct portfolios. Zacks Investment Management does not publish its underlying model architecture but describes a disciplined, repeatable five-step quantitative investment process.

The firm generates revenue primarily through recurring investment advisory fees on assets under management, with fees structured on a tiered basis across AUM size and strategy type. It distributes products through a dedicated wholesale team of regional representatives covering US geographies, a private client direct-sales force operating out of 20+ US offices, and dedicated institutional coverage from the Chicago headquarters. Headcount is reported at 101–250 employees, and the firm manages billions in assets.

Name

Zacks Investment Management

Legal name

Zacks Investment Management, Inc.

Website

https://zacksim.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Zacks Investment Management is a Chicago-based, family-owned investment advisory firm founded in 1992 that delivers proprietary actively managed equity strategies, ETFs, and custom portfolios to financial advisors, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors using its 40-year Zacks Rank earnings estimate revision framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management / Investment Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Broker-Dealer Affiliated Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD), Large-Cap Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAA)

Keywords

• Investment management services
• Separately managed accounts
• Active equity strategies
• Actively managed ETFs
• Wealth management solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees: Zacks Investment Management generates revenue through investment advisory fees charged on assets under management across its separately managed accounts (SMAs), ETF model portfolios, custom asset allocations, and mutual funds. Fee structures are typically tiered based on AUM size and strategy type.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zacks Investment Management is an investment advisory firm that delivers actively managed equity strategies through separately managed accounts (SMAs), ETFs, mutual funds, and model portfolios, all powered by its proprietary Zacks Rank system and earnings estimate revision research. It sells these strategies to financial professionals, high-net-worth private clients, and institutional investors through dedicated wholesale, private client, and institutional sales channels across the United States. Revenue is generated primarily through investment advisory fees charged on assets under management.

Product overview

Zacks Investment Management is an investment advisory firm offering a platform of actively managed investment products and services for financial professionals, private clients, and institutional investors. The core offerings include Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) across five strategies (All Cap Core, Focus Growth, Small-Cap Core, Mid-Cap Core, and Dividend), two income-focused ETFs (ZINC and PRIZ), mutual funds, and model portfolios. All strategies are powered by the proprietary Zacks Rank system and 40+ years of earnings estimate revision research. Additional services include Custom Asset Management for high-net-worth clients, institutional investor services, and separately managed account solutions with varying levels of customization (SMA Model Blends, Custom SMAs, and ETF Model Portfolios).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zacks Rank: Proprietary stock ranking system that analyzes thousands of stocks daily, widely recognized in the industry as a valuable ranking tool.
• Zacks All Cap Core Strategy
• Zacks Focus Growth Strategy
• Zacks Mid Cap Core Strategy
• Zacks Dividend Strategy
• Zacks Small Cap Core Strategy
• Zacks Income ETF (ZINC)
• Zacks Preferred Income ETF (PRIZ)

Products and services

• Zacks All Cap Core Strategy Actively managed equity strategy targeting all market capitalizations, utilizing the Zacks Rank and earnings estimate revision models to select stocks across the full market cap spectrum. Available as a separately managed account for financial professionals and private clients.
• Zacks Focus Growth Strategy Growth-oriented equity strategy focusing on large-cap and mid-cap companies with strong earnings growth potential, leveraging quantitative models to identify stocks with favorable estimate revision trends. Available as a separately managed account.
• Zacks Small-Cap Core Strategy Equity strategy targeting small-cap companies, applying the Zacks investment process to identify undervalued small-cap stocks with positive earnings estimate revisions. Available as a separately managed account.
• Zacks Mid-Cap Core Strategy Actively managed mid-cap equity strategy using proprietary quantitative models to select stocks with favorable earnings dynamics and estimate revision patterns. Available as a separately managed account.
• Zacks Dividend Strategy Income-focused equity strategy targeting stocks with sustainable dividend yields, applying the Zacks research framework to identify companies with reliable dividend payments and growth potential. Available as a separately managed account.
• Zacks Income ETF (ZINC) Actively managed income-focused ETF targeting an 8% annual distribution yield through a combination of dividend income, interest, and return of capital, using proprietary quantitative screening and fundamental analysis.
• Zacks Preferred Income ETF (PRIZ) Actively managed preferred income ETF targeting an 8% annual distribution yield, applying the firm's earnings-driven investment approach to income generation for investors seeking yield alternatives.
• SMA Model Blends Pre-configured asset allocation models combining multiple Zacks SMAs, designed to correspond with various investment objectives and risk tolerance levels for financial professionals.
• Zacks Custom SMAs Fully customized separately managed accounts enabling financial professionals to deliver personalized investment strategies around performance objectives, tax requirements, and time horizons, incorporating various factor tilts.
• Actively Managed ETF Model Portfolios Six ETF model portfolios using the proprietary Zacks ETF Rank System, a 10-year forecasting approach, and quantitative models to select best-performing ETFs across multiple asset classes.
• Zacks Mutual Funds Suite of actively managed mutual funds designed to utilize decades of independent research in earnings estimate revisions, following a methodical investment process.
• Custom Asset Management One-to-one investment advisory service for high-net-worth clients providing fully customized investment strategies built around unique needs including tax planning, risk management, liquidity requirements, and protection goals.
• Private Client Group Services Investment solutions customized for individual investors at various stages of investing, including retirement planning, financial planning, and access to Zacks Investment Research insights. Targeted to investors with $500,000 or more to invest.
• Institutional Investor Services Investment management and advisory services for institutional investors, utilizing the firm's quantitative investment process and proprietary research. Targeted at endowments, foundations, pension funds, and other institutional entities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top percentile rankings across multiple strategy categories as rated by Morningstar and PSN Top Guns
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Calamos Asset Management: Calamos is a direct peer offering active equity SMAs, convertible and income strategies, and actively managed ETFs distributed through financial advisors and institutions. Both firms compete for advisor wallet share in income and growth equity sleeves.
• WisdomTree Investments: WisdomTree is a direct peer in active and income-focused ETF strategies. Zacks' newly launched ZINC and PRIZ compete head-to-head with WisdomTree's broad income and dividend ETF suite, and both firms market through financial advisors with quantitative models.
• Hodges Capital Management: Hodges is a direct peer offering actively managed equity SMAs, mutual funds, and ETFs with growth, small-cap, and dividend strategies distributed through financial advisors and institutions, with comparable Dallas-based advisor distribution focus.
• Alger: Alger is a direct peer focused on active growth equity SMAs and mutual funds distributed through financial advisors, with a comparable long-tenured track record and quantitative/fundamental process blending.
• Victory Capital: Victory Capital is a direct peer operating a multi-affiliate active management model with SMA, ETF, and mutual fund strategies distributed primarily through advisors and institutions, comparable to Zacks' multi-product, advisor-led go-to-market.
• ClearBridge Investments: ClearBridge is a direct peer providing actively managed equity SMA strategies (value, growth, dividend) distributed primarily through financial advisors and institutions, with comparable long-tenured strategies and performance-track-record marketing.
• Westwood Holdings Group: Westwood is a direct peer providing actively managed equity, income, and alternative SMA strategies to institutional clients and financial advisors, with comparable long-tenured performance track records and quantamental investment process.
• Aristotle Capital Management: Aristotle is a direct peer offering active equity strategies (including dividend, small cap, and growth) distributed through advisors and institutions, with a long-tenured founder-led investment team and comparable SMA product set.

Broad incumbents

• Nuveen (TIAA): Nuveen is a broad incumbent asset manager offering active equity, fixed income, and income-focused ETFs and SMAs distributed through advisors and institutions, competing with Zacks across income, dividend, and growth strategies at significantly larger scale.
• Federated Hermes: Federated Hermes is a broad incumbent offering active equity, fixed income, and money market strategies through SMAs, mutual funds, and ETFs, overlapping with Zacks' active equity and fixed income SMA offerings and advisor distribution model at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zacks Investment Management