IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/may/mayecw/n841298.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Optimal International Asset Allocation and Home Bias

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas J. Flavin

    (Economics, National University of Ireland, Maynooth)

  • Michael R. Wickens

    (University of York, UK.)

Abstract

This paper examines the optimal allocation each period of an internationally diversified portfolio from the different points of view of a UK and a US investor. A multivariate GARCH model is used to estimate the conditional covariance matrix of returns, and to rebalance their portfolios each period according to CAPM. Domestic equity is the dominant asset in the optimal portfolio for both investors, but the US investor bears less risk than the UK investor, and holds less foreign equity - 20% compared to 25%. Survey evidence indicates actual shares are 6% and 18%, respectively, making the home-bias puzzle more acute for US than UK investors. Put another way, there seems to be more potential gains from increased international diversification for the US than the UK investor.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas J. Flavin & Michael R. Wickens, 1998. "Optimal International Asset Allocation and Home Bias," Economics Department Working Paper Series n841298, Department of Economics, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.
    • Handle: RePEc:may:mayecw:n841298
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://repec.maynoothuniversity.ie/mayecw-files/N841298.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Engle, Robert F. & Kroner, Kenneth F., 1995. "Multivariate Simultaneous Generalized ARCH," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(1), pages 122-150, February.
    2. Andrew Clare & Raymond O'Brien & Stephen Thomas & Michael Wickens, "undated". "Macroeconomic Shocks and the Domestic CAPM: Evidence from the UK Stock Market," Discussion Papers 94/10, Department of Economics, University of York.
    3. Bollerslev, Tim & Engle, Robert F. & Nelson, Daniel B., 1986. "Arch models," Handbook of Econometrics, in: R. F. Engle & D. McFadden (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 49, pages 2959-3038, Elsevier.
    4. Levy, Haim & Sarnat, Marshall, 1970. "International Diversification of Investment Portfolios," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 60(4), pages 668-675, September.
    5. French, Kenneth R & Poterba, James M, 1991. "Investor Diversification and International Equity Markets," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(2), pages 222-226, May.
    6. Thomas J. Flavin & Michael R. Wickens, 2000. "Global Asset Allocation with Time-varying Risk," Economics Department Working Paper Series n1020800, Department of Economics, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.
    7. Thomas J. Flavin & Michael R. Wickens, 1998. ": A Risk Management Approach to Optimal Asset Allocation," Economics Department Working Paper Series n851298, Department of Economics, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.
    8. Cumby, Robert & Figlewski, Stephen & Hasbrouck, Joel, 1994. "International asset allocation with time varying risk: an analysis and implementation," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 1-25.
    9. repec:cup:etheor:v:11:y:1995:i:1:p:122-50 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Jorion, Philippe, 1985. "International Portfolio Diversification with Estimation Risk," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 58(3), pages 259-278, July.
    11. Best, Michael J & Grauer, Robert R, 1991. "On the Sensitivity of Mean-Variance-Efficient Portfolios to Changes in Asset Means: Some Analytical and Computational Results," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 4(2), pages 315-342.
    12. Karen K. Lewis, 1998. "International Home Bias in International Finance and Business Cycles," NBER Working Papers 6351, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Bera, Anil K & Higgins, Matthew L, 1993. "ARCH Models: Properties, Estimation and Testing," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(4), pages 305-366, December.
    14. Bollerslev, Tim & Chou, Ray Y. & Kroner, Kenneth F., 1992. "ARCH modeling in finance : A review of the theory and empirical evidence," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1-2), pages 5-59.
    15. Eun, Cheol S & Resnick, Bruce G, 1988. " Exchange Rate Uncertainty, Forward Contracts, and International Portfolio Selection," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 43(1), pages 197-215, March.
    16. Cooper, Ian & Kaplanis, Evi, 1994. "Home Bias in Equity Portfolios, Inflation Hedging, and International Capital Market Equilibrium," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 7(1), pages 45-60.
    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. Thomas J. Flavin & Michael R. Wickens, 2000. "Global Asset Allocation with Time-varying Risk," Economics Department Working Paper Series n1020800, Department of Economics, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.

    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 J. Flavin & Michael R. Wickens, 1998. ": A Risk Management Approach to Optimal Asset Allocation," Economics Department Working Paper Series n851298, Department of Economics, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.
    2. Thomas J. Flavin & Michael R. Wickens, 2000. "Global Asset Allocation with Time-varying Risk," Economics Department Working Paper Series n1020800, Department of Economics, National University of Ireland - Maynooth.
    3. T.J. Flavin & M.R. Wickens, 2003. "Macroeconomic influences on optimal asset allocation," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(2), pages 207-231.
    4. Glassman, Debra A. & Riddick, Leigh A., 1996. "Why empirical international portfolio models fail: evidence that model misspecification creates home asset bias," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 275-312, April.
    5. Mishra, Anil V., 2015. "Measures of equity home bias puzzle," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 293-312.
    6. Tim Bollerslev, 2008. "Glossary to ARCH (GARCH)," CREATES Research Papers 2008-49, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    7. Hasan, Iftekhar & Simaan, Yusif, 2000. "A rational explanation for home country bias," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 331-361, June.
    8. Mishra, Anil V., 2017. "Foreign bias in Australia's international equity holdings," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 41-54.
    9. Coen, Alain, 2001. "Home bias and international capital asset pricing model with human capital," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 11(4-5), pages 497-513, December.
    10. Liljeblom, Eva & Loflund, Anders, 2005. "Determinants of international portfolio investment flows to a small market: Empirical evidence," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 211-233, July.
    11. Yoon-Jin Lee & Yongmiao Hong, 2004. "Specification Testing for Multivariate Time Series Volatility Models," Econometric Society 2004 Far Eastern Meetings 696, Econometric Society.
    12. Thapa, Chandra & Poshakwale, Sunil S., 2010. "International equity portfolio allocations and transaction costs," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(11), pages 2627-2638, November.
    13. Mishra, Anil V., 2016. "Foreign bias in Australian-domiciled mutual fund holdings," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 101-123.
    14. McDowell, Shaun, 2018. "An empirical evaluation of estimation error reduction strategies applied to international diversification," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 1-13.
    15. De Moor, Lieven & Sercu, Piet & Vanpée, Rosanne, 2010. "The plausibility of risk estimates and implied costs to international equity investments," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 623-644, September.
    16. Sébastien Laurent & Luc Bauwens & Jeroen V. K. Rombouts, 2006. "Multivariate GARCH models: a survey," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(1), pages 79-109.
    17. Siem Jan Koopman & Eugenie Hol Uspensky, 2002. "The stochastic volatility in mean model: empirical evidence from international stock markets," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(6), pages 667-689.
    18. Kuper, Gerard H. & Lestano, 2007. "Dynamic conditional correlation analysis of financial market interdependence: An application to Thailand and Indonesia," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 670-684, August.
    19. Thapa, Chandra & Poshakwale, Sunil S., 2012. "Country-specific equity market characteristics and foreign equity portfolio allocation," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 189-211.
    20. Maixé-Altés, J. Carles & Iglesias, Emma M., 2009. "Domestic monetary transfers and the inland bill of exchange markets in Spain (1775-1885)," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 496-521, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Asset allocation; home bias; GARCH;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F3 - International Economics - - International Finance
    • G1 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets

    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:may:mayecw:n841298. 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: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/demayie.html .

    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.