Optimal Asset Allocation: A Worst Scenario Expectation Approach

Mean-variance criterion has long been the main stream approach in the optimal portfolio theory. The investors try to balance the risk and the return on their portfolio. In this paper, the deviation of the asset return from the investor’s expectation in the worst scenario is used as the measure of risk for portfolio selection. One important advantage of this approach is that the investors can base on their own knowledge, information, and preference on various risks, in addition to the asset’s volatility, to adjust their exposure to various risks. It also pinpoints one main concern of the investors when they invest, the amount they lose in the worst situation.     

Tail subadditivity of distortion risk measures and multivariate tail distortion risk measures

In this paper, we extend the concept of tail subadditivity (Belles-Sampera et al., 2014a; Belles-Sampera et al., 2014b) for distortion risk measures and give sufficient and necessary conditions for a distortion risk measure to be tail subadditive. We also introduce the generalized GlueVaR risk measures, which can be used to approach any coherent distortion risk measure. To further illustrate the applications of the tail subadditivity, we propose multivariate tail distortion (MTD) risk measures and generalize the multivariate tail conditional expectation (MTCE) risk measure introduced by Landsman et al. (2016). The properties of multivariate tail distortion risk measures, such as positive homogeneity, translation invariance, monotonicity, and subadditivity, are discussed as well. Moreover, we discuss the applications of the multivariate tail distortion risk measures in capital allocations for a portfolio of risks and explore the impacts of the dependence between risks in a portfolio and extreme tail events of a risk portfolio in capital allocations.     

A portfolio selection model using fuzzy returns

We study a static portfolio selection problem, in which future returns of securities are given as fuzzy sets. In contrast to traditional analysis, we assume that investment decisions are not based on statistical expectation values, but rather on maximal and minimal potential returns resulting from the so-called α-cuts of these fuzzy sets. By aggregating over all α-cuts and assigning weights for both best and worst possible cases we get a new objective function to derive an optimal portfolio. Allowing for short sales and modelling α-cuts in ellipsoidal shape, we obtain the optimal portfolio as the unique solution of a simple optimization problem. Since our model does not include any stochastic assumptions, we present a procedure, which turns the data of observable returns as well as experts’ expectations into fuzzy sets in order to quantify the potential future returns and the investment risk.     

分形统计测度构建及其在投资组合中的应用研究

准确测量证券的风险和收益无论是对投资管理,还是对金融理论研究,甚至对理论成果向实践应用转化都至关重要。本文在证券价格具有分形特征的现实背景下,基于分形理论构建了分形期望和分形方差两个分形统计测度,以克服非分形统计测度在风险收益方面测不准或不可测的缺陷。在此基础上,应用分形统计测度构建了投资组合模型,给出了分形组合模型的解析解;随后,利用实证分析验证了分形统计测度在投资组合应用中的有效性。本文创新之处在于针对证券价格具有分形特征的现实背景构建了分形期望和分形方差两个分形统计测度;并基于分形统计测度构建了投资组合模型,将证券价格普遍存在的分形特征纳入投资组合的研究框架。     

Optimal reinsurance under VaR and CTE risk measures

Let X denote the loss initially assumed by an insurer. In a reinsurance design, the insurer cedes part of its loss, say f(X), to a reinsurer, and thus the insurer retains a loss I_f(X)=X−f(X). In return, the insurer is obligated to compensate the reinsurer for undertaking the risk by paying the reinsurance premium. Hence, the sum of the retained loss and the reinsurance premium can be interpreted as the total cost of managing the risk in the presence of reinsurance. Based on a technique used in [Müller, A., Stoyan, D., 2002. Comparison Methods for Stochastic Models and Risks. In: Willey Series in Probability and Statistics] and motivated by [Cai J., Tan K.S., 2007. Optimal retention for a stop-loss reinsurance under the VaR and CTE risk measure. Astin Bull. 37 (1), 93–112] on using the value-at-risk (VaR) and the conditional tail expectation (CTE) of an insurer’s total cost as the criteria for determining the optimal reinsurance, this paper derives the optimal ceded loss functions in a class of increasing convex ceded loss functions. The results indicate that depending on the risk measure’s level of confidence and the safety loading for the reinsurance premium, the optimal reinsurance can be in the forms of stop-loss, quota-share, or change-loss.     

Estimating the tails of loss severity via conditional risk measures for the family of symmetric generalised hyperbolic distributions

This paper addresses one of the main challenges faced by insurance companies and risk management departments, namely, how to develop standardised framework for measuring risks of underlying portfolios and in particular, how to most reliably estimate loss severity distribution from historical data. This paper investigates tail conditional expectation (TCE) and tail variance premium (TVP) risk measures for the family of symmetric generalised hyperbolic (SGH) distributions. In contrast to a widely used Value-at-Risk (VaR) measure, TCE satisfies the requirement of the “coherent” risk measure taking into account the expected loss in the tail of the distribution while TVP incorporates variability in the tail, providing the most conservative estimator of risk. We examine various distributions from the class of SGH distributions, which turn out to fit well financial data returns and allow for explicit formulas for TCE and TVP risk measures. In parallel, we obtain asymptotic behaviour for TCE and TVP risk measures for large quantile levels. Furthermore, we extend our analysis to the multivariate framework, allowing multivariate distributions to model combinations of correlated risks, and demonstrate how TCE can be decomposed into individual components, representing contribution of individual risks to the aggregate portfolio risk.     

A new class of coherent risk measures based on p‐norms and their applications

To exercise better control on the lower tail of the loss distribution and to easily describe the investor's risk attitude, a new class of coherent risk measures is proposed in this paper by taking the minimization of p‐norms of lower losses with respect to some reference point. We demonstrate that the new risk measure has satisfactory mathematical properties such as convexity, continuity with respect to parameters included in its definition, the relations between two new risk measures are also examined. The application of the new risk measures for optimal portfolio selection is illustrated by using trade data from the Chinese stock markets. Empirical results not only support our theoretical conclusions, but also show the practicability of the portfolio selection model with our new risk measures. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the impact of conditional expectation estimators in portfolio theory

In this paper, we investigate the implications for portfolio theory of using conditional expectation estimators. First, we focus on the approximation of the conditional expectation within large-scale portfolio selection problems. In this context, we propose a new consistent multivariate kernel estimator to approximate the conditional expectation and it optimizes the bandwidth selection of kernel-type estimators. Second, we deal with the portfolio selection problem from the point of view of different non-satiable investors, namely risk-averse and risk-seeker investors. In particular, using a well-known ordering classification, we first identify different definitions of returns based on the investors preferences. Finally, for each problem, we examine several admissible portfolio optimization problems applied to the US stock market. The proposed empirical analysis allows us to evaluate the impact of the conditional expectation estimators in portfolio theory.     

Portfolio-optimization models for small investors

Since 2010, the client base of online-trading service providers has grown significantly. Such companies enable small investors to access the stock market at advantageous rates. Because small investors buy and sell stocks in moderate amounts, they should consider fixed transaction costs, integral transaction units, and dividends when selecting their portfolio. In this paper, we consider the small investor’s problem of investing capital in stocks in a way that maximizes the expected portfolio return and guarantees that the portfolio risk does not exceed a prescribed risk level. Portfolio-optimization models known from the literature are in general designed for institutional investors and do not consider the specific constraints of small investors. We therefore extend four well-known portfolio-optimization models to make them applicable for small investors. We consider one nonlinear model that uses variance as a risk measure and three linear models that use the mean absolute deviation from the portfolio return, the maximum loss, and the conditional value-at-risk as risk measures. We extend all models to consider piecewise-constant transaction costs, integral transaction units, and dividends. In an out-of-sample experiment based on Swiss stock-market data and the cost structure of the online-trading service provider Swissquote, we apply both the basic models and the extended models; the former represent the perspective of an institutional investor, and the latter the perspective of a small investor. The basic models compute portfolios that yield on average a slightly higher return than the portfolios computed with the extended models. However, all generated portfolios yield on average a higher return than the Swiss performance index. There are considerable differences between the four risk measures with respect to the mean realized portfolio return and the standard deviation of the realized portfolio return.     

Mean–variance portfolio and contribution selection in stochastic pension funding

In this paper we study the problem of simultaneous minimization of risks, and maximization of the terminal value of expected funds assets in a stochastic defined benefit aggregated pension plan. The risks considered are the solvency risk, measured as the variance of the terminal fund’s level, and the contribution risk, in the form of a running cost associated to deviations from the evolution of the stochastic normal cost. The problem is formulated as a bi-objective stochastic problem of mean–variance and it is solved with dynamic programming techniques. We find the efficient frontier and we show that the optimal portfolio depends linearly on the supplementary cost of the fund, plus an additional term due to the random evolution of benefits.     

Using medians in portfolio optimization

Some new portfolio optimization models are formulated by adopting the sample median instead of the sample mean as the investment efficiency measure. The median is a robust statistic, which is less affected by outliers than the mean, and in portfolio models this is particularly relevant as data are often characterized by attributes such as skewness, fat tails and jumps, which may strongly bias the mean estimate. As in mean/variance optimization, the portfolio problems are formulated as finding the optimal weights, for example, wealth allocation, which maximize the portfolio median, with risk constrained by some risk measure, respectively, the Value-at-Risk, the Conditional Value-at-Risk, the Mean Absolute Deviation and the Maximum Loss, for a whole of four different models. All these models are formulated as mixed integer linear programming problems, which, at least for moderate sized problems, are efficiently solved by standard software. Models are tested on real financial data, compared to some benchmark portfolios, and found to give good results in terms of realized profits. An important feature is greater portfolio diversification than that obtained with other portfolio models.     

Financial portfolio management through the goal programming model: Current state-of-the-art

Since Markowitz (1952) formulated the portfolio selection problem, many researchers have developed models aggregating simultaneously several conflicting attributes such as: the return on investment, risk and liquidity. The portfolio manager generally seeks the best combination of stocks/assets that meets his/her investment objectives. The Goal Programming (GP) model is widely applied to finance and portfolio management. The aim of this paper is to present the different variants of the GP model that have been applied to the financial portfolio selection problem from the 1970s to nowadays.     

均值-方差准则下具有负债的随机微分博弈

研究了均值-方差准则下,具有负债的随机微分博弈.研究目标是:在终值财富的均值等于k的限制下,在市场出现最坏的情况下找到最优的投资策略使终值财富的方差最小.即:基于均值-方差随机微分博弈的投资组合选择问题.使用线性-二次控制的理论解决了该问题,获得了最优的投资策略、最优市场策略和有效边界的显示解.并通过对所得结果进行进一步分析,在经济上给出了进一步的解释.通过本文的研究,可以指导金融公司在面临负债和金融市场情况恶劣时,选择恰当的投资策略使自身获得一定的财富而面临的风险最小.     

Scenario optimization asset and liability modelling for individual investors

We develop a scenario optimization model for asset and liability management of individual investors. The individual has a given level of initial wealth and a target goal to be reached within some time horizon. The individual must determine an asset allocation strategy so that the portfolio growth rate will be sufficient to reach the target. A scenario optimization model is formulated which maximizes the upside potential of the portfolio, with limits on the downside risk. Both upside and downside are measured vis-à-vis the goal. The stochastic behavior of asset returns is captured through bootstrap simulation, and the simulation is embedded in the model to determine the optimal portfolio. Post-optimality analysis using out-of-sample scenarios measures the probability of success of a given portfolio. It also allows us to estimate the required increase in the initial endowment so that the probability of success is improved.     

Concentrated portfolio selection models based on historical data

A new risk measure fully based on historical data is proposed, from which we can naturally derive concentrated optimal portfolios rather than imposing cardinality constraints. The new risk measure can be expressed as a quadratics of the introduced greedy matrix, which takes investors' joint behavior into account. We construct distribution‐free portfolio selection models in simple case and realistic case, respectively. The latest techniques for describing transaction cost constraints and solving nonconvex quadratic programs are utilized to obtain the optimal portfolio efficiently. In order to show the practicality, efficiency, and robustness of our new risk measure and corresponding portfolio selection models, a series of empirical studies are carried out with trading data from advanced stock markets and emerging stock markets. Different performance indicators are adopted to comprehensively compare results obtained under our new models with those obtained under the mean‐variance, mean‐semivariance, and mean‐conditional value‐at‐risk models. Out‐of‐sample results sufficiently show that our models outperform the others and provide a simple and practical approach for choosing concentrated, efficient, and robust portfolios. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Portfolio Selection Problem with Minimax Type Risk Function

The investor's preference in risk estimation of portfolio selection problems is important as it influences investment strategies. In this paper a minimax risk criterion is considered. Specifically, the investor aims to restrict the standard deviation for each of the available stocks. The corresponding portfolio optimization problem is formulated as a linear program. Hence it can be implemented easily. A capital asset pricing model between the market portfolio and each individual return for this model is established using nonsmooth optimization methods. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate our approach for the risk estimation.     

证券投资组合理论的一种新模型及其应用

马科维茨(Markowitz)以证券收益率的方差作为投资风险的测度建立了组合证券投资模型，本基于熵的概念，在研究马科维茨(Markowitz)证券投资组合模型的基础上，分析了该模型用方差度量风险的不足，进而提出一种新的证券投资组合优化模型，并以实例作了说明。     

Integrals,conditional expectations,and martingales of multivalued functions

Let (Ω, $\text{A}$, μ) be a finite measure space and $\text{X}$ a real separable Banach space. Measurability and integrability are defined for multivalued functions on Ω with values in the family of nonempty closed subsets of $\text{X}$. To present a theory of integrals, conditional expectations, and martingales of multivalued functions, several types of spaces of integrably bounded multivalued functions are formulated as complete metric spaces including the space L¹(Ω; $\text{X}$) isometrically. For multivalued functions in these spaces, multivalued conditional expectations are introduced, and the properties possessed by the usual conditional expectation are obtained for the multivalued conditional expectation with some modifications. Multivalued martingales are also defined, and their convergence theorems are established in several ways.     

Continuous-time mean–variance portfolio selection with liability and regime switching

A continuous-time mean–variance model for individual investors with stochastic liability in a Markovian regime switching financial market, is investigated as a generalization of the model of Zhou and Yin [Zhou, X.Y., Yin, G., 2003. Markowitz’s mean–variance portfolio selection with regime switching: A continuous-time model, SIAM J. Control Optim. 42 (4), 1466–1482]. We assume that the risky stock’s price is governed by a Markovian regime-switching geometric Brownian motion, and the liability follows a Markovian regime-switching Brownian motion with drift, respectively. The evolution of appreciation rates, volatility rates and the interest rates are modulated by the Markov chain, and the Markov switching diffusion is assumed to be independent of the underlying Brownian motion. The correlation between the risky asset and the liability is considered. The objective is to minimize the risk (measured by variance) of the terminal wealth subject to a given expected terminal wealth level. Using the Lagrange multiplier technique and the linear-quadratic control technique, we get the expressions of the optimal portfolio and the mean–variance efficient frontier in closed forms. Further, the results of our special case without liability is consistent with those results of Zhou and Yin [Zhou, X.Y., Yin, G., 2003. Markowitz’s mean–variance portfolio selection with regime switching: A continuous-time model, SIAM J. Control Optim. 42 (4), 1466–1482].     

基于风险测度CaR_k的最优投资组合(英文)

本文定义一种k阶在险资本值(CaRk)来度量风险,并研究在经典Black-Scholes市场中的均值-CaRk最优投资组合问题,给出了CaRk的显示表达式,并得到了均值-CaRk最优投资组合问题的最优策略及相应的最优财富值.