IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/2012.05757.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Estimation of Large Financial Covariances: A Cross-Validation Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Vincent Tan
  • Stefan Zohren

Abstract

We introduce a novel covariance estimator for portfolio selection that adapts to the non-stationary or persistent heteroskedastic environments of financial time series by employing exponentially weighted averages and nonlinearly shrinking the sample eigenvalues through cross-validation. Our estimator is structure agnostic, transparent, and computationally feasible in large dimensions. By correcting the biases in the sample eigenvalues and aligning our estimator to more recent risk, we demonstrate that our estimator performs well in large dimensions against existing state-of-the-art static and dynamic covariance shrinkage estimators through simulations and with an empirical application in active portfolio management.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincent Tan & Stefan Zohren, 2020. "Estimation of Large Financial Covariances: A Cross-Validation Approach," Papers 2012.05757, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2023.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2012.05757
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://arxiv.org/pdf/2012.05757
    File Function: Latest version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ledoit, Olivier & Wolf, Michael, 2004. "A well-conditioned estimator for large-dimensional covariance matrices," Journal of Multivariate Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 365-411, February.
    2. Zhao Zhao & Olivier Ledoit & Hui Jiang, 2019. "Risk reduction and efficiency increase in large portfolios: leverage and shrinkage," ECON - Working Papers 328, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Jan 2020.
    3. J. P. Bouchaud & M. Potters, 2009. "Financial Applications of Random Matrix Theory: a short review," Papers 0910.1205, arXiv.org.
    4. M. Potters & J. P. Bouchaud & L. Laloux, 2005. "Financial Applications of Random Matrix Theory: Old Laces and New Pieces," Papers physics/0507111, arXiv.org.
    5. Victor DeMiguel & Lorenzo Garlappi & Raman Uppal, 2009. "Optimal Versus Naive Diversification: How Inefficient is the 1-N Portfolio Strategy?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(5), pages 1915-1953, May.
    6. Ravi Jagannathan & Tongshu Ma, 2003. "Risk Reduction in Large Portfolios: Why Imposing the Wrong Constraints Helps," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(4), pages 1651-1683, August.
    7. Joël Bun & Jean-Philippe Bouchaud & Marc Potters, 2017. "Cleaning large correlation matrices: tools from random matrix theory," Post-Print hal-01491304, HAL.
    8. Zdzisław Burda & Andrzej Jarosz & Maciej Nowak & Jerzy Jurkiewicz & Gabor Papp & Ismail Zahed, 2011. "Applying free random variables to random matrix analysis of financial data. Part I: The Gaussian case," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(7), pages 1103-1124.
    9. Robert F. Engle & Olivier Ledoit & Michael Wolf, 2019. "Large Dynamic Covariance Matrices," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 363-375, April.
    10. Ravi Jagannathan & Tongshu Ma, 2003. "Risk Reduction in Large Portfolios: Why Imposing the Wrong Constraints Helps," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(4), pages 1651-1684, August.
    11. Martin Lettau & Markus Pelger & Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, 2020. "Factors That Fit the Time Series and Cross-Section of Stock Returns," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(5), pages 2274-2325.
    12. Ledoit, Olivier & Wolf, Michael, 2015. "Spectrum estimation: A unified framework for covariance matrix estimation and PCA in large dimensions," Journal of Multivariate Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 360-384.
    13. Martin Lettau & Markus Pelger, 2020. "Factors That Fit the Time Series and Cross-Section of Stock Returns," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 33(5), pages 2274-2325.
    14. Engle, Robert, 2002. "Dynamic Conditional Correlation: A Simple Class of Multivariate Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity Models," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 20(3), pages 339-350, July.
    15. Szilard Pafka & Marc Potters & Imre Kondor, 2004. "Exponential Weighting and Random-Matrix-Theory-Based Filtering of Financial Covariance Matrices for Portfolio Optimization," Papers cond-mat/0402573, arXiv.org.
    16. R. Cont, 2001. "Empirical properties of asset returns: stylized facts and statistical issues," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(2), pages 223-236.
    17. Abadir, Karim M. & Distaso, Walter & Žikeš, Filip, 2014. "Design-free estimation of variance matrices," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 181(2), pages 165-180.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jan Rosenzweig, 2021. "Power-law Portfolios," Papers 2104.07976, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2021.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Thomas Conlon & John Cotter & Iason Kynigakis, 2021. "Machine Learning and Factor-Based Portfolio Optimization," Papers 2107.13866, arXiv.org.
    2. Sven Husmann & Antoniya Shivarova & Rick Steinert, 2019. "Sparsity and Stability for Minimum-Variance Portfolios," Papers 1910.11840, arXiv.org.
    3. Paolella, Marc S. & Polak, Paweł & Walker, Patrick S., 2021. "A non-elliptical orthogonal GARCH model for portfolio selection under transaction costs," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    4. Robert F. Engle & Olivier Ledoit & Michael Wolf, 2019. "Large Dynamic Covariance Matrices," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 363-375, April.
    5. De Nard, Gianluca & Engle, Robert F. & Ledoit, Olivier & Wolf, Michael, 2022. "Large dynamic covariance matrices: Enhancements based on intraday data," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    6. Sven Husmann & Antoniya Shivarova & Rick Steinert, 2022. "Sparsity and stability for minimum-variance portfolios," Risk Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(3), pages 214-235, September.
    7. Zhao Zhao & Olivier Ledoit & Hui Jiang, 2019. "Risk reduction and efficiency increase in large portfolios: leverage and shrinkage," ECON - Working Papers 328, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Jan 2020.
    8. Plachel, Lukas, 2019. "A unified model for regularized and robust portfolio optimization," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    9. Moura, Guilherme V. & Santos, André A.P. & Ruiz, Esther, 2020. "Comparing high-dimensional conditional covariance matrices: Implications for portfolio selection," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    10. Olivier Ledoit & Michael Wolf, 2019. "Shrinkage estimation of large covariance matrices: keep it simple, statistician?," ECON - Working Papers 327, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Jun 2021.
    11. Sven Husmann & Antoniya Shivarova & Rick Steinert, 2019. "Cross-validated covariance estimators for high-dimensional minimum-variance portfolios," Papers 1910.13960, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2020.
    12. Hautsch, Nikolaus & Voigt, Stefan, 2019. "Large-scale portfolio allocation under transaction costs and model uncertainty," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 212(1), pages 221-240.
    13. Firoozye, Nikan & Tan, Vincent & Zohren, Stefan, 2023. "Canonical portfolios: Optimal asset and signal combination," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    14. Gianluca De Nard & Olivier Ledoit & Michael Wolf, 2018. "Factor models for portfolio selection in large dimensions: the good, the better and the ugly," ECON - Working Papers 290, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Dec 2018.
    15. Ledoit, Olivier & Wolf, Michael, 2017. "Numerical implementation of the QuEST function," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 199-223.
    16. Carlos Trucíos & Mauricio Zevallos & Luiz K. Hotta & André A. P. Santos, 2019. "Covariance Prediction in Large Portfolio Allocation," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-24, May.
    17. Santos, André Alves Portela & Ferreira, Alexandre R., 2017. "On the choice of covariance specifications for portfolio selection problems," Brazilian Review of Econometrics, Sociedade Brasileira de Econometria - SBE, vol. 37(1), May.
    18. Ruili Sun & Tiefeng Ma & Shuangzhe Liu & Milind Sathye, 2019. "Improved Covariance Matrix Estimation for Portfolio Risk Measurement: A Review," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-34, March.
    19. Johannes Bock, 2018. "An updated review of (sub-)optimal diversification models," Papers 1811.08255, arXiv.org.
    20. Giovanni Bonaccolto & Sandra Paterlini, 2020. "Developing new portfolio strategies by aggregation," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 292(2), pages 933-971, September.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2012.05757. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: arXiv administrators (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arxiv.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.