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Tackling estimation risk in Kelly investing using options

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  • Fabrizio Lillo
  • Piero Mazzarisi
  • Ioanna-Yvonni Tsaknaki

Abstract

The Kelly criterion provides a general framework for optimizing the growth rate of an investment portfolio over time by maximizing the expected logarithmic utility of wealth. However, the optimality condition of the Kelly criterion is highly sensitive to accurate estimates of the probabilities and investment payoffs. Estimation risk can lead to greatly suboptimal portfolios. In a simple binomial model, we show that the introduction of a European option in the Kelly framework can be used to construct a class of growth optimal portfolios that are robust to estimation risk.

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  • Fabrizio Lillo & Piero Mazzarisi & Ioanna-Yvonni Tsaknaki, 2025. "Tackling estimation risk in Kelly investing using options," Papers 2508.18868, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2025.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2508.18868
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