15,550 research outputs found
Portfolio-optimization models for small investors
Since 2010, the client base of online-trading service providers has grown significantly. Such companies enable small investors to access the stock market at advantageous rates. Because small investors buy and sell stocks in moderate amounts, they should consider fixed transaction costs, integral transaction units, and dividends when selecting their portfolio. In this paper, we consider the small investor's problem of investing capital in stocks in a way that maximizes the expected portfolio return and guarantees that the portfolio risk does not exceed a prescribed risk level. Portfolio-optimization models known from the literature are in general designed for institutional investors and do not consider the specific constraints of small investors. We therefore extend four well-known portfolio-optimization models to make them applicable for small investors. We consider one nonlinear model that uses variance as a risk measure and three linear models that use the mean absolute deviation from the portfolio return, the maximum loss, and the conditional value-at-risk as risk measures. We extend all models to consider piecewise-constant transaction costs, integral transaction units, and dividends. In an out-of-sample experiment based on Swiss stock-market data and the cost structure of the online-trading service provider Swissquote, we apply both the basic models and the extended models; the former represent the perspective of an institutional investor, and the latter the perspective of a small investor. The basic models compute portfolios that yield on average a slightly higher return than the portfolios computed with the extended models. However, all generated portfolios yield on average a higher return than the Swiss performance index. There are considerable differences between the four risk measures with respect to the mean realized portfolio return and the standard deviation of the realized portfolio retur
Combining Alpha Streams with Costs
We discuss investment allocation to multiple alpha streams traded on the same
execution platform with internal crossing of trades and point out differences
with allocating investment when alpha streams are traded on separate execution
platforms with no crossing. First, in the latter case allocation weights are
non-negative, while in the former case they can be negative. Second, the
effects of both linear and nonlinear (impact) costs are different in these two
cases due to turnover reduction when the trades are crossed. Third, the
turnover reduction depends on the universe of traded alpha streams, so if some
alpha streams have zero allocations, turnover reduction needs to be recomputed,
hence an iterative procedure. We discuss an algorithm for finding allocation
weights with crossing and linear costs. We also discuss a simple approximation
when nonlinear costs are added, making the allocation problem tractable while
still capturing nonlinear portfolio capacity bound effects. We also define
"regression with costs" as a limit of optimization with costs, useful in
often-occurring cases with singular alpha covariance matrix.Comment: 21 pages; minor misprints corrected; to appear in The Journal of Ris
Portfolio-optimization models for small investors
Since 2010, the client base of online-trading service providers has grown significantly. Such companies enable small investors to access the stock market at advantageous rates. Because small investors buy and sell stocks in moderate amounts, they should consider fixed transaction costs, integral transaction units, and dividends when selecting their portfolio. In this paper, we consider the small investor’s problem of investing capital in stocks in a way that maximizes the expected portfolio return and guarantees that the portfolio risk does not exceed a prescribed risk level. Portfolio-optimization models known from the literature are in general designed for institutional investors and do not consider the specific constraints of small investors. We therefore extend four well-known portfolio-optimization models to make them applicable for small investors. We consider one nonlinear model that uses variance as a risk measure and three linear models that use the mean absolute deviation from the portfolio return, the maximum loss, and the conditional value-at-risk as risk measures. We extend all models to consider piecewise-constant transaction costs, integral transaction units, and dividends. In an out-of-sample experiment based on Swiss stock-market data and the cost structure of the online-trading service provider Swissquote, we apply both the basic models and the extended models; the former represent the perspective of an institutional investor, and the latter the perspective of a small investor. The basic models compute portfolios that yield on average a slightly higher return than the portfolios computed with the extended models. However, all generated portfolios yield on average a higher return than the Swiss performance index. There are considerable differences between the four risk measures with respect to the mean realized portfolio return and the standard deviation of the realized portfolio return
Notes on Alpha Stream Optimization
In these notes we discuss investment allocation to multiple alpha streams
traded on the same execution platform, including when trades are crossed
internally resulting in turnover reduction. We discuss approaches to alpha
weight optimization where one maximizes P&L subject to bounds on volatility (or
Sharpe ratio). The presence of negative alpha weights, which are allowed when
alpha streams are traded on the same execution platform, complicates the
optimization problem. By using factor model approach to alpha covariance
matrix, the original optimization problem can be viewed as a 1-dimensional root
searching problem plus an optimization problem that requires a finite number of
iterations. We discuss this approach without costs and with linear costs, and
also with nonlinear costs in a certain approximation, which makes the
allocation problem tractable without forgoing nonlinear portfolio capacity
bound effects.Comment: 42 pages; clarifying remarks added, minor misprints corrected; to
appear in The Journal of Investment Strategie
Sparse and stable Markowitz portfolios
We consider the problem of portfolio selection within the classical Markowitz
mean-variance framework, reformulated as a constrained least-squares regression
problem. We propose to add to the objective function a penalty proportional to
the sum of the absolute values of the portfolio weights. This penalty
regularizes (stabilizes) the optimization problem, encourages sparse portfolios
(i.e. portfolios with only few active positions), and allows to account for
transaction costs. Our approach recovers as special cases the
no-short-positions portfolios, but does allow for short positions in limited
number. We implement this methodology on two benchmark data sets constructed by
Fama and French. Using only a modest amount of training data, we construct
portfolios whose out-of-sample performance, as measured by Sharpe ratio, is
consistently and significantly better than that of the naive evenly-weighted
portfolio which constitutes, as shown in recent literature, a very tough
benchmark.Comment: Better emphasis of main result, new abstract, new examples and
figures. New appendix with full details of algorithm. 17 pages, 6 figure
Turnover, account value and diversification of real traders: evidence of collective portfolio optimizing behavior
Despite the availability of very detailed data on financial market,
agent-based modeling is hindered by the lack of information about real trader
behavior. This makes it impossible to validate agent-based models, which are
thus reverse-engineering attempts. This work is a contribution to the building
of a set of stylized facts about the traders themselves. Using the client
database of Swissquote Bank SA, the largest on-line Swiss broker, we find
empirical relationships between turnover, account values and the number of
assets in which a trader is invested. A theory based on simple mean-variance
portfolio optimization that crucially includes variable transaction costs is
able to reproduce faithfully the observed behaviors. We finally argue that our
results bring into light the collective ability of a population to construct a
mean-variance portfolio that takes into account the structure of transaction
costsComment: 26 pages, 9 figures, Fig. 8 fixe
Nonlinear Parabolic Equations arising in Mathematical Finance
This survey paper is focused on qualitative and numerical analyses of fully
nonlinear partial differential equations of parabolic type arising in financial
mathematics. The main purpose is to review various non-linear extensions of the
classical Black-Scholes theory for pricing financial instruments, as well as
models of stochastic dynamic portfolio optimization leading to the
Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation. After suitable transformations, both
problems can be represented by solutions to nonlinear parabolic equations.
Qualitative analysis will be focused on issues concerning the existence and
uniqueness of solutions. In the numerical part we discuss a stable
finite-volume and finite difference schemes for solving fully nonlinear
parabolic equations.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1603.0387
Bayesian emulation for optimization in multi-step portfolio decisions
We discuss the Bayesian emulation approach to computational solution of
multi-step portfolio studies in financial time series. "Bayesian emulation for
decisions" involves mapping the technical structure of a decision analysis
problem to that of Bayesian inference in a purely synthetic "emulating"
statistical model. This provides access to standard posterior analytic,
simulation and optimization methods that yield indirect solutions of the
decision problem. We develop this in time series portfolio analysis using
classes of economically and psychologically relevant multi-step ahead portfolio
utility functions. Studies with multivariate currency, commodity and stock
index time series illustrate the approach and show some of the practical
utility and benefits of the Bayesian emulation methodology.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, 2 table
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