"Generating a Target Payoff Distribution with the Cheapest Dynamic Portfolio: An Application to Hedge Fund Replication"

This paper provides a new method to construct a dynamic optimal portfolio for asset management. This method generates a target payoff distribution using the cheapest dynamic trading strategy. As a practical example, the method is applied to hedge fund replication. This dynamic portfolio strategy is regarded as an extension of a hedge fund replication methodology that was developed by Kat and Palaro (2005a, b) and Papageorgiou, Remillard and Hocquard (2008) to address multiple trading assets with both long and short positions. Empirical analyses show that such an extension significantly improves the performance of replication in practice.

Generating a Target Payoff Distribution with the Cheapest Dynamic Portfolio: an Application to Hedge Fund Replication

This paper provides a new method to construct a dynamic optimal portfolio for asset management in a complete market. The method generates a target payoff distribution by the cheapest dynamic trading strategy. It is regarded as an extension of Dybvig (1988a) to continuous-time framework and dynamic portfolio optimization where the dynamic trading strategy is derived analytically by applying Malliavin calculus. As a practical example, the method is applied to hedge fund replication, which extends Kat and Palaro (2005) and Papageorgiou, Remillard and Hocquard (2008) to multiple trading assets with both long and short positions.

Vertical integration and firm boundaries : the evidence

Since Ronald H. Coase's (1937) seminal paper, a rich set of theories has been developed that deal with firm boundaries in vertical or input–output structures. In the last twenty-five years, empirical evidence that can shed light on those theories also has been accumulating. We review the findings of empirical studies that have addressed two main interrelated questions: First, what types of transactions are best brought within the firm and, second, what are the consequences of vertical integration decisions for economic outcomes such as prices, quantities, investment, and profits. Throughout, we highlight areas of potential cross-fertilization and promising areas for future work

Rational Asset Prices

The mean, co-variability, and predictability of the return of different classes of financial assets challenge the rational economic model for an explanation. The unconditional mean aggregate equity premium is almost seven percent per year and remains high after adjusting downwards the sample mean premium by introducing prior beliefs about the stationarity of the price-dividend ratio and the (non) forecastability of the long-term dividend growth and price-dividend ratio. Recognition that idiosyncratic income shocks are uninsurable and concentrated in recessions contributes toward an explanation. Also borrowing constraints over the investors' life cycle that shift the stock market risk to the saving middle-aged consumers contribute toward an explanation.