Robust portfolio choice with CVaR and VaR under distribution and mean return ambiguity

We consider the problem of optimal portfolio choice using the Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) and Value-at-Risk (VaR) measures for a market consisting of n risky assets and a riskless asset and where short positions are allowed. When the distribution of returns of risky assets is unknown but the mean return vector and variance/covariance matrix of the risky assets are fixed, we derive the distributionally robust portfolio rules. Then, we address uncertainty (ambiguity) in the mean return vector in addition to distribution ambiguity, and derive the optimal portfolio rules when the uncertainty in the return vector is modeled via an ellipsoidal uncertainty set. In the presence of a riskless asset, the robust CVaR and VaR measures, coupled with a minimum mean return constraint, yield simple, mean-variance efficient optimal portfolio rules. In a market without the riskless asset, we obtain a closed-form portfolio rule that generalizes earlier results, without a minimum mean return restriction.     

Robust estimation of efficient mean�Cvariance frontiers

Standard methods for optimal allocation of shares in a financial portfolio are determined by second-order conditions which are very sensitive to outliers. The well-known Markowitz approach, which is based on the input of a mean vector and a covariance matrix, seems to provide questionable results in financial management, since small changes of inputs might lead to irrelevant portfolio allocations. However, existing robust estimators often suffer from masking of multiple influential observations, so we propose a new robust estimator which suitably weights data using a forward search approach. A Monte Carlo simulation study and an application to real data show some advantages of the proposed approach.     

Robust portfolio optimization with a hybrid heuristic algorithm

Estimation errors in both the expected returns and the covariance matrix hamper the construction of reliable portfolios within the Markowitz framework. Robust techniques that incorporate the uncertainty about the unknown parameters are suggested in the literature. We propose a modification as well as an extension of such a technique and compare both with another robust approach. In order to eliminate oversimplifications of Markowitz’ portfolio theory, we generalize the optimization framework to better emulate a more realistic investment environment. Because the adjusted optimization problem is no longer solvable with standard algorithms, we employ a hybrid heuristic to tackle this problem. Our empirical analysis is conducted with a moving time window for returns of the German stock index DAX100. The results of all three robust approaches yield more stable portfolio compositions than those of the original Markowitz framework. Moreover, the out-of-sample risk of the robust approaches is lower and less volatile while their returns are not necessarily smaller.     

Credit risk optimization with Conditional Value-at-Risk criterion

This paper examines a new approach for credit risk optimization. The model is based on the Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) risk measure, the expected loss exceeding Value-at-Risk. CVaR is also known as Mean Excess, Mean Shortfall, or Tail VaR. This model can simultaneously adjust all positions in a portfolio of financial instruments in order to minimize CVaR subject to trading and return constraints. The credit risk distribution is generated by Monte Carlo simulations and the optimization problem is solved effectively by linear programming. The algorithm is very efficient; it can handle hundreds of instruments and thousands of scenarios in reasonable computer time. The approach is demonstrated with a portfolio of emerging market bonds. Received: November 1, 1999 / Accepted: October 1, 2000?Published online December 15, 2000     

CVaR鲁棒均值-CVaR投资组合模型与求解

传统的均值-风险(包括方差、VaR、CVaR等)组合选择模型在计算最优投资组合时,常假定均值是已知的常值,但在实际资产配置中,收益的均值估计会有偏差,即存在着估计风险.在利用CVaR测度估计风险的基础上,研究了CVaR鲁棒均值-CVaR投资组合选择模型,给出了另外两种不同的求解方法,即对偶法和光滑优化方法,并探讨了它们的相关性质及特征,数值实验表明在求解大样本或者大规模投资组合选择问题上,对偶法和光滑优化方法在计算上是可行且有效的.     

CVaR风险度量模型在投资组合中的运用

风险价值(VaR)是近年来金融机构广泛运用的风险度量指标，条件风险价值(CVaR)是VaR的修正模型，也称为平均超额损失或尾部VaR，它比VaR具有更好的性质。在本中，我们将运用风险度量指标VaR和CVaR，提出一个新的最优投资组合模型。介绍了模型的算法，而且利用我国的股票市场进行了实证分析，验证了新模型的有效性，为制定合理的投资组合提供了一种新思路。     

Robust portfolio optimization with copulas

Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) is widely used in portfolio optimization as a measure of risk. CVaR is clearly dependent on the underlying probability distribution of the portfolio. We show how copulas can be introduced to any problem that involves distributions and how they can provide solutions for the modeling of the portfolio. We use this to provide the copula formulation of the CVaR of a portfolio. Given the critical dependence of CVaR on the underlying distribution, we use a robust framework to extend our approach to Worst Case CVaR (WCVaR). WCVaR is achieved through the use of rival copulas. These rival copulas have the advantage of exploiting a variety of dependence structures, symmetric and not. We compare our model against two other models, Gaussian CVaR and Worst Case Markowitz. Our empirical analysis shows that WCVaR can asses the risk more adequately than the two competitive models during periods of crisis.     

An exact solution to a robust portfolio choice problem with multiple risk measures under ambiguous distribution

This paper proposes a unified framework to solve distributionally robust mean-risk optimization problem that simultaneously uses variance, value-at-risk (VaR) and conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) as a triple-risk measure. It provides investors with more flexibility to find portfolios in the sense that it allows investors to optimize a return-risk profile in the presence of estimation error. We derive a closed-form expression for the optimal portfolio strategy to the robust mean-multiple risk portfolio selection model under distribution and mean return ambiguity (RMP). Specially, the robust mean-variance, robust maximum return, robust minimum VaR and robust minimum CVaR efficient portfolios are all special instances of RMP portfolios. We analytically and numerically show that the resulting portfolio weight converges to the minimum variance portfolio when the level of ambiguity aversion is in a high value. Using numerical experiment with simulated data, we demonstrate that our robust portfolios under ambiguity are more stable over time than the non-robust portfolios.     

不同均值-风险准则下的资产组合有效前沿比较研究

本文根据V aR和CV aR风险度量方法,对马克维茨的均值-方差资产组合选择模型进行拓展,研究在均值-风险准则下更具有一般性的资产组合选择问题.并在正态分布假设条件下,证明当不存在无风险资产时和存在无风险资产时,基于方差、V aR和CV aR风险度量准则的资产组合有有沿之间的关系,指出根据均值-V aR准则和均值-CV aR准则求解有效资产组合时,置信水平必须满足的条件     

基于Copula的供应链金融质物组合价格风险测度研究

本文选取白银、铝和铜三种供应链金融质物作为研究对象,在分析三种质物收益率统计特征的基础上,引入Copula模型刻画供应链金融业务中质物收益率的“尖峰厚尾”特征以及质物收益率之间的非线性相关结构;采用Monte Carlo模拟方法测度考虑到极端情况下的质物组合价格风险值CVaR;利用时间平方根法则测度长周期视角下质物组合的价格风险。将CVaR与VaR测度结果进行对比,比较分析短期价格风险与长期价格风险,将Copula模型与传统风险测度方法下计算出的风险值进行对比,以期选取最优测度供应链金融质物组合长期价格风险模型。研究结果表明:从单一质物价格波动特征来看,三种单一质物的收益率均存在非正态分布和“尖峰厚尾”特征,具有一般金融资产收益率分布的特点。从模型的有效性来看,第一,CVaR比VaR能够更好地、全面地测度供应链金融质物组合的价格风险;第二,基于Copula模型的风险测度结果比传统集成风险测度结果的准确性高;第三,平方欧式距离法结果表明在五种Copula模型中,t-Copula是最优刻画供应链金融质物组合收益率间的相依关系的模型。从长短期风险测度结果来看,随着风险期限的增加,质物组合的价格风险值随之增大,以往研究中用短期风险测度往往会低估商业银行所面临的价格风险,不利于商业银行资金信贷的优化配置。得到的结论对我国商业银行开展供应链金融业务防范价格风险提供了量化支持。     

Estimating Value-at-Risk and Expected Shortfall using the intraday low and range data

Value-at-Risk (VaR) is a popular measure of market risk. To convey information regarding potential exceedances beyond the VaR, Expected Shortfall (ES) has become the risk measure for trading book bank regulation. However, the estimation of VaR and ES is challenging, as it requires the estimation of the tail behaviour of daily returns. In this paper, we take advantage of recent research that develops joint scoring functions for VaR and ES. Using these functions, we present a novel approach to estimating the two risk measures based on intraday data. We focus on the intraday range, which is the difference between the highest and lowest intraday log prices. In contrast to intraday observations, the intraday low and high are widely available for many financial assets. To alleviate the challenge of modelling extreme risk measures, we propose the use of the intraday low series. We draw on a theoretical result for Brownian motion to show that a quantile of the daily returns can be estimated as the product of a constant term and a less extreme quantile of the intraday low returns, which we define as the difference between the lowest log price of the day and the log closing price of the previous day. In view of this, we use estimates of the VaR and ES of the intraday low returns to estimate the VaR and ES of the daily returns. We provide empirical support for the new proposals using data for five stock indices and five individual stocks.     

一类重尾风险因子的模拟及其投资高风险值和置信区间的估计

由于金融市场中的日周期或短周期对数回报率的样本数据多数呈现胖尾分布，于是现有的正态或对数正态分布模型都在不同程度上失效，为了准确模拟这种胖尾分布和提高投资风险估计及金融管理，本文引进了一种可根据实际金融市场数据作出调正的蒙特卡洛模拟方法．这个方法可以有效地复制金融产品价格的日周期对数回报率数据的胖尾分布．结合非参数估计方法，利用该模拟方法还得到投资高风险值以及高风险置信区间的准确估计。     

A tail-revisited Markowitz mean-variance approach and a portfolio network centrality

A measure for portfolio risk management is proposed by extending the Markowitz mean-variance approach to include the left-hand tail effects of asset returns. Two risk dimensions are captured: asset covariance risk along risk in left-hand tail similarity and volatility. The key ingredient is an informative set on the left-hand tail distributions of asset returns obtained by an adaptive clustering procedure. This set allows a left tail similarity and left tail volatility to be defined, thereby providing a definition for the left-tail-covariance-like matrix. The convex combination of the two covariance matrices generates a “two-dimensional” risk that, when applied to portfolio selection, provides a measure of its systemic vulnerability due to the asset centrality. This is done by simply associating a suitable node-weighted network with the portfolio. Higher values of this risk indicate an asset allocation suffering from too much exposure to volatile assets whose return dynamics behave too similarly in left-hand tail distributions and/or co-movements, as well as being too connected to each other. Minimizing these combined risks reduces losses and increases profits, with a low variability in the profit and loss distribution. The portfolio selection compares favorably with some competing approaches. An empirical analysis is made using exchange traded fund prices over the period January 2006–February 2018.

     

奇异协方差阵及不同借贷利率下均值—方差模型的解析解

随着金融资产种类的增加,特别是考虑大规模投资组合问题时,很可能出现资产间的多重共线性或相关性,从而出现协方差阵奇异的情况。然而,目前关于投资组合的均值—方差分析大都是在协方差阵正定的条件下得到的,因此,不适用于奇异协方差阵的情形。针对这一问题,利用广义逆矩阵研究了协方差阵奇异时的均值—方差投资组合模型,在不同借贷利率条件下得到了前沿组合和组合前沿的解析解,突破了传统方法中要求协方差阵可逆的限制,推广了经典Markowitz模型。     

协方差矩阵退化情形均值-CVaR模型的有效边界

本文利用CVaR方法代替方差或CVaR来度量风险,建立了均值-CVaR模型,首先利用等CVaR线的方法研究了包含无风险资产的均值-CVaR模型的有效边界,然后在无套利假设下研究了当风险资产的协方差矩阵是奇异时的均值-CVaR模型,并得到了正态情形下模型的有效边界及其解析表达式.     

基于几种风险测度的多阶段组合优化研究

基于均值-方差(MV)、VaR(Value at Risk)、CVaR(Conditional VaR)、HMCR(p=1,2,3)(Higher Moment Coherent Risk)几种风险测度进行多阶段组合优化研究。首先从一致性公理和随机占优一致性角度分析几种风险测度的风险识别能力,认为HMCR(p=2,3)的风险识别能力最高,然后给出静态和动态下的风险规避型的规划函数及多阶段CVaR和HMCR模型,最后依据单阶段和多阶段优化模型,对上证50指数成份股进行实证分析。对比单阶段和多阶段下几种风险测度优化组合的累计收益率及几种风险测度之间的关系,结合上证50指数收益率发现,多阶段优化组合要整体优于单阶段优化组合,且HMCR(p=2,3)要优于指数收益率和其它几种风险测度。从投资者投资决策方面来分析,HMCR(p=2,3)型积极投资策略比较适用于股市平稳期、顶峰期和下降期,被动投资策略比较适用于股市上升期。     

Portfolio value-at-risk optimization for asymmetrically distributed asset returns

We propose a new approach to portfolio optimization by separating asset return distributions into positive and negative half-spaces. The approach minimizes a newly-defined Partitioned Value-at-Risk (PVaR) risk measure by using half-space statistical information. Using simulated data, the PVaR approach always generates better risk-return tradeoffs in the optimal portfolios when compared to traditional Markowitz mean–variance approach. When using real financial data, our approach also outperforms the Markowitz approach in the risk-return tradeoff. Given that the PVaR measure is also a robust risk measure, our new approach can be very useful for optimal portfolio allocations when asset return distributions are asymmetrical.     

Value at risk and inventory control

The purposes of this paper are two-fold. On the one hand, we shall provide a decision analysis justification for the Value at Risk (VaR) approach based on ex-post, disappointment decision making arguments. We shall show that the VaR approach is justified by a disappointment criterion. In other words, the asymmetric valuation between ex-ante expected returns above an appropriate target return and the expected returns below that same target level, provide an explanation for the VaR criterion when it is used as a tool for VaR efficiency design. Second, this paper provides applications to inventory management based on VaR risk exposure. Although the mathematical problems arising from an application of the VaR approach, tuned to current practice in financial risk management, are difficult to solve analytically, solutions can be found by application of standard computational and simulation techniques. A number of cases are solved and formulated to demonstrate the paper's applicability.     

证券市场指数的尖峰厚尾特征与风险量估计

在对DOW,Nasdaq,S&P500和FTSE100等四个证券市场指数进行实证分析基础上,展示了证券市场指数的对数收益率具有尖峰厚尾的分布特征,并利用Logistic分布得到了很好的拟合,同时给出了基于Logistic分布的风险量VaR和CVaR的估计公式,以此计算证券市场指数的对数收益率的风险量VaR和CVaR的估计值.     

Twenty years of linear programming based portfolio optimization

Markowitz formulated the portfolio optimization problem through two criteria: the expected return and the risk, as a measure of the variability of the return. The classical Markowitz model uses the variance as the risk measure and is a quadratic programming problem. Many attempts have been made to linearize the portfolio optimization problem. Several different risk measures have been proposed which are computationally attractive as (for discrete random variables) they give rise to linear programming (LP) problems. About twenty years ago, the mean absolute deviation (MAD) model drew a lot of attention resulting in much research and speeding up development of other LP models. Further, the LP models based on the conditional value at risk (CVaR) have a great impact on new developments in portfolio optimization during the first decade of the 21st century. The LP solvability may become relevant for real-life decisions when portfolios have to meet side constraints and take into account transaction costs or when large size instances have to be solved. In this paper we review the variety of LP solvable portfolio optimization models presented in the literature, the real features that have been modeled and the solution approaches to the resulting models, in most of the cases mixed integer linear programming (MILP) models. We also discuss the impact of the inclusion of the real features.