Characteristic-based mean-variance portfolio choice
Abstract
We study empirical mean-variance optimization when the portfolio weights are restricted to be direct functions of underlying stock characteristics such as value and momentum. The closed-form solution to the portfolio weights estimator shows that the portfolio problem in this case reduces to a mean-variance analysis of assets with returns given by single-characteristic strategies (e.g., momentum or value). In an empirical application to international stock return indexes, we show that the direct approach to estimating portfolio weights clearly beats a naive regression-based approach that models the conditional mean. However, a portfolio based on equal weights of the single-characteristic strategies performs about as well, and sometimes better, than the direct estimation approach, highlighting again the difficulties in beating the equal-weighted case in mean-variance analysis. The empirical results also highlight the potential for ‘stock-picking’ in international indexes using characteristics such as value and momentum with the characteristic-based portfolios obtaining Sharpe ratios approximately three times larger than the world market.Download Info
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Bibliographic Info
Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Journal of Banking & Finance.
Volume (Year): 36 (2012)
Issue (Month): 5 ()
Pages: 1392-1401
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Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbf
Related research
Keywords: Mean-variance analysis; Momentum strategies; Portfolio choice; Stock characteristics; Value strategies;Find related papers by JEL classification:
- C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models
- C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Longitudinal Data; Spatial Time Series
- G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
- G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
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Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Chia, Rui Ming Daryl & Lim, Kai Jie Shawn, 2012. "The Attenuation of Idiosyncratic Risk under Alternative Portfolio Weighting Strategies: Recent Evidence from the UK Equity Market," MPRA Paper 41455, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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