This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

On Portfolio Optimization: Forecasting Covariances and Choosing the Risk Model

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Louis K.C. Chan
Jason Karceski
Josef Lakonishok
Abstract

We evaluate the performance of different models for the covariance structure of stock returns, focusing on their use for optimal portfolio selection. Comparisons are based on forecasts of future covariances as well as the out-of-sample volatility of optimized portfolios from each model. A few factors capture the general covariance structure but adding more factors does not improve forecast power. Portfolio optimization helps for risk control, but the different covariance models yield similar results. Using a tracking error volatility criterion, larger differences appear, with particularly favorable results for a heuristic approach based on matching the benchmark's attributes.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w7039.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: Access to the full text is generally limited to series subscribers, however if the top level domain of the client browser is in a developing country or transition economy free access is provided. More information about subscriptions and free access is available at http://www.nber.org/wwphelp.html.

As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.

Publisher Info
Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 7039.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Mar 1999
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:7039

Note: AP
Contact details of provider:
Postal: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Phone: 617-868-3900
Email:
Web page: http://www.nber.org
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: ().

Related research
Keywords:

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Elton, Edwin J & Gruber, Martin J & Urich, Thomas J, 1978. "Are Betas Best?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 33(5), pages 1375-84, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Frost, Peter A. & Savarino, James E., 1986. "An Empirical Bayes Approach to Efficient Portfolio Selection," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(03), pages 293-305, September. [Downloadable!]
  3. Alexander, Gordon J., 1978. "A Reevaluation of Alternative Portfolio Selection Models Applied to Common Stocks," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(01), pages 71-78, March. [Downloadable!]
  4. Pagan, Adrian R. & Schwert, G. William, 1990. "Alternative models for conditional stock volatility," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 45(1-2), pages 267-290. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Green, Richard C & Hollifield, Burton, 1992. " When Will Mean-Variance Efficient Portfolios Be Well Diversified?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(5), pages 1785-809, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  6. Connor, Gregory & Korajczyk, Robert A, 1993. " A Test for the Number of Factors in an Approximate Factor Model," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 48(4), pages 1263-91, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1993. "Common risk factors in the returns on stocks and bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 3-56, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Merton, Robert C., 1980. "On estimating the expected return on the market : An exploratory investigation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(4), pages 323-361, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  9. Nelson, Daniel B., 1992. "Filtering and forecasting with misspecified ARCH models I : Getting the right variance with the wrong model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1-2), pages 61-90. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Chan, Louis K. C. & Karceski, Jason & Lakonishok, Josef, 1998. "The Risk and Return from Factors," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 33(02), pages 159-188, June. [Downloadable!]
  11. Gregory Connor and Robert Korajczyk., 1987. "Risk and Return in an Equilibrium APT," Research Program in Finance Working Papers 174, University of California at Berkeley.
  12. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1997. "Industry costs of equity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 153-193, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Elton, Edwin J & Gruber, Martin J, 1973. "Estimating the Dependence Structure of Share Prices-Implications for Portfolio Selection," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 28(5), pages 1203-32, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Schwert, G William & Seguin, Paul J, 1990. " Heteroskedasticity in Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(4), pages 1129-55, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Gordon J. Alexander & Alexandre M. Baptista & Shu Yan, 2009. "Reducing estimation risk in optimal portfolio selection when short sales are allowed," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 281-305. [Downloadable!]
  2. Qianqiu Liu, 2009. "On portfolio optimization: How and when do we benefit from high-frequency data?," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(4), pages 560-582. [Downloadable!]
  3. Arco van Oord & Martin Martens & Herman K. van Dijk, 2009. "Robust Optimization of the Equity Momentum Strategy," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 09-011/4, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  4. Jose A. Lopez & Christian A. Walter, 2000. "Evaluating covariance matrix forecasts in a value-at-risk framework," Working Papers in Applied Economic Theory 2000-21, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. [Downloadable!]
  5. Jennifer Juergens & Evan Anderson & Eric Ghysels, 2004. "Do Heterogeneous Beliefs Matter for Asset Pricing?," Econometric Society 2004 North American Summer Meetings 477, Econometric Society. [Downloadable!]
  6. Elena Andreou & Eric Ghysels, 2000. "Rolling-Sample Volatility Estimators: Some New Theoretical, Simulation and Empirical Results," CIRANO Working Papers 2000s-19, CIRANO. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Gregory H. Bauer & Keith Vorkink, 2007. "Multivariate Realized Stock Market Volatility
    ," Working Papers 07-20, Bank of Canada. [Downloadable!]
  8. C.M. Hafner & P.H. Franses, 2003. "A generalized dynamic conditional correlation model for many asset returns," Econometric Institute Report 323, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Econometric Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Michiel de Pooter & Martin Martens & Dick van Dijk, 2005. "Predicting the Daily Covariance Matrix for S&P 100 Stocks Using Intraday Data - But Which Frequency to Use?," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 05-089/4, Tinbergen Institute, revised 03 Jan 2006. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Nadima El-Hassan & Paul Kofman, 2003. "Tracking Error and Active Portfolio Management," Research Paper Series 98, Quantitative Finance Research Centre, University of Technology, Sydney. [Downloadable!]
  11. Raman Uppal & Lorenzo Garlappi & Tan Wang, 2004. "Portfolio Selection with Parameter and Model Uncertainty: A Multi-Prior Approach," Money Macro and Finance (MMF) Research Group Conference 2004 54, Money Macro and Finance Research Group. [Downloadable!]
  12. Josef Lakonishok & Louis Chan & Stephen G. Dimmock, 2006. "Benchmarking Money Manager Performance: Issues and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 12461, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Garlappi, Lorenzo & Uppal, Raman & Wang, Tan, 2005. "Portfolio Selection with Parameter and Model Uncertainty: A Multi-Prior Approach," CEPR Discussion Papers 5148, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Basak, Suleyman & Shapiro, Alex & Teplá, Lucie, 2005. "Risk Management with Benchmarking," CEPR Discussion Papers 5187, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Garlappi, Lorenzo & Uppal, Raman & Wang, Tan, 2005. "Portfolio Selection with Parameter and Model Uncertainty: A Multi-Prior Approach," CEPR Discussion Papers 5041, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Asgharian, Hossein, 2004. "A Comparative Analysis of Ability of Mimicking Portfolios in Representing the Background Factors," Working Papers 2004:10, Lund University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  17. Imre Kondor & Szilard Pafka & Gabor Nagy, 2006. "Noise sensitivity of portfolio selection under various risk measures," Quantitative Finance Papers physics/0611027, arXiv.org. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? Over five million full texts a year are downloaded through IDEAS.

This page was last updated on 2009-12-1.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.