Norman Guo

Saint Louis University · Saint Louis, MO 63108 · norman.guo@slu.edu

I am an Assistant Professor of Finance at Saint Loius University. My research broadly focuses on FinTech, Machine Learning, Investment, and Corporate Finance, with a particular interest in uncovering hidden patterns on mutual funds, hedge funds, and financial analysts using explainable machine learning models.

Research Interest

  • FinTech: AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning
  • Investments: Hedge Funds, Mutual Funds, Portfolio Managment
  • Corporate Finance: Financial Analysts

Download Norman's Curriculum Vitae


Research

Publication

Hedging Performance of Multiscale Hedge Ratios [Paper]
with Jahangir Sultan, Antonios Alexandridis, Mohammad Hasan, 2019, Journal of Futures Markets

In this study, we combine the wavelet multiscale model and neural network to improve the hedging performance of multiple classes of assets over traditional hedging models.

Decoding Mutual Fund Performance: Dynamic Return Patterns via Deep Learning [Paper]
2026, Journal of Financial Stability

This paper uses a sequential deep learning model to uncover and predict dynamic patterns in mutual fund returns. A long-short portfolio based on the model generates a 2.8% annualized four-factor alpha that persists for up to four years.

Working Paper

Can Machines Understand Human Skills? Insights from Analyst Selection [Paper]

• Revising for invited re-submission at Journal of Finance

We use machine learning to identify skilled financial analysts and aggregate their forecasts into a crowd wisdom-based earnings prediction. Machine-selected analysts persistently outperform expert-picked star analysts by leveraging nonlinear interactions of analyst characteristics rather than relation-based information.

Mapping the Midweek Mountain: The New Geography of Hybrid Work [Paper]

• Under submission

Using 41 billion mobile geolocation records, we document a lasting post-pandemic shift in work patterns: a 'midweek mountain' of office attendance on Tuesdays through Thursdays, with workers spending significantly more time at non-work locations during the workday.

The Impact of AI Adoption on Hedge Fund Performance

We examine how AI adoption affects hedge fund performance and find that it improves returns by 2.64% annually, reduces risk, and leads to more diversified portfolios with less concentration in local stocks.

The Vulnerability Trap: How Sudden Stops Erode Firm Financial Health Through Supply Chain Destruction
with Anqi Jiao

We show that sudden stops in international capital flows destroy firms' supply chain networks, creating a vulnerability trap: financially fragile firms suffer the most network damage, which further weakens their financial health and amplifies exposure to future crises.

Why do actively managed mutual funds hold ETFs? Evidence on liquidity management

This paper examines why actively managed mutual funds hold ETFs and finds they serve as a liquidity management tool. Funds using index ETFs maintain performance regardless of investor flow, while non-users suffer lower returns during redemptions.


Teaching

Introduction to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

Saint Louis University
2022 - Present

Blockchain Technology, Cryptocurrency, & Business Disruption

Saint Louis University
2022 - 2023

Finance for Managers

Saint Louis University
2023 - 2024

Principles of Finance

Saint Louis University
2022 - Present

Blockchain and business disruption

Georgia State University

This course provides an introduction to blockchain technology and its disruptive roles in business. Students will have hands-on and problem solving experiences that can be useful in blockchain applications and innovation.

  • Fundamentals of Blockchain Technology
  • Blockchain and Business Disruption
  • Cryptocurrencies
  • Ethereum and Programming
  • Blockchain Platforms
2021 - 2022

Corporate Finance

Georgia State University
2019 - 2022

CFA Exam

Curriculum Lead and Lecturer, Utoollearning

Design and teach the course of Quantitative Methods, Portfolio Management, and Equity Investments in the CFA Level I exam.

2015 - 2016

Blockchain Business Cases

From classroom to capstone — student-built blockchain ventures.

In my Blockchain & Cryptocurrency course, students complete a capstone that takes a real business problem from boardroom to blockchain. Each team scopes a venture, drafts a full business plan, and ships a working Solidity smart-contract prototype on Ethereum. The result: technology fused with strategy — a showcase of how distributed ledgers can reshape industries from sports and entertainment to credit, intellectual property, and corporate governance.

Business Problem

Identify a pain point that incentives, trust, or transparency in a centralized system fail to solve.

Business Plan

Map the value proposition, stakeholders, token economics, and go-to-market strategy.

Solidity Execution

Deploy a working smart-contract prototype on Ethereum that proves the concept end-to-end.

Spring 2026 7 ventures · 3 winners

A blockchain-based fan loyalty platform that issues programmable NFT passes, letting artists and venues reward attendance, gate exclusive content, and combat ticket scalping with verifiable on-chain history.

A decentralized registry that timestamps and signs contributions across creative teams, so writers, designers, and engineers can prove authorship, split royalties automatically, and resolve IP disputes without a middleman.

A zero-knowledge framework that lets whistleblowers submit verified evidence of corporate or public-sector misconduct anonymously, with smart-contract-escrowed bounties released once authorities confirm the report.

An on-chain certificate-of-authenticity protocol that pairs each physical product with an immutable digital twin, enabling buyers to verify origin, ownership history, and condition before purchase.

A decentralized credit-scoring layer that aggregates on- and off-chain financial signals into a self-sovereign credit identity, giving thin-file borrowers a fair shot at lending markets worldwide.

A consent-based data marketplace where individuals encrypt and license their personal data to researchers and advertisers, with smart contracts enforcing usage limits and streaming payments back to the data owner.

A decentralized credentialing network that lets employers, universities, and certifying bodies issue tamper-evident proofs of skills, employment, and education that candidates can selectively share with recruiters.

Spring 2025 6 ventures · 1 winner

AutoLedger replaces fragmented vehicle-history reports with a single immutable record: every sale, service, accident, and odometer reading is signed by the responsible party and written to Ethereum, so used-car buyers and lenders can finally trust what they see.

BagBlock turns airline baggage tags into smart contracts: passengers stake a small premium, airline scans feed real-time custody data on-chain, and if a bag goes missing the policy auto-pays the traveler without a single claim form.

The 2025 prototype of FanPass — a portable fan-loyalty NFT that survives across teams, seasons, and resale markets, giving sports franchises a richer view of their most engaged supporters and giving fans real ownership of their fandom.

A token-curated crowdfunding platform built for university entrepreneurs: backers stake capital in milestone-gated smart contracts, founders unlock funds only as deliverables ship, and reputation accrues on-chain across multiple raises.

IdeaFirst lets innovators register a hash of an early-stage idea on Ethereum to establish priority, then progressively reveal details to vetted collaborators or investors — a Web3 answer to provisional patents for the open-innovation era.

SplitChain is a Web3 take on Splitwise: friends, roommates, and travel groups log shared expenses to a smart contract that nets balances and settles in stablecoins, eliminating the awkward 'who owes whom' spreadsheet.


Foundational Blockchain Demos

Introduction of Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies