New concepts and algorithms for portfolio choice

The paper studies the design of optimal (bond) portfolios taking into account various possible utility functions of an investor. The most prominent model for portfolio optimization was introduced by Markowitz. A real solution in this model can be achieved by quadratic programming routines for mean-variance analysis. Of course, there are many reasons for an investor to prefer other utility criteria than return/variance of return in the Markowitz model. In the last few years, many efficient multiple purpose optimization heuristics have been invented for the needs in optimizing telephone nets, chip layouts, job shop scheduling etc. Some of these heuristics have essential advantages: they are extremely flexible and very easy to implement on computers. One example of such an algorithm is the threshold-accepting algorithm (TA). TA is able to optimize portfolios under nearby arbitrary constraints and subject to nearly every utility function. In particular, the utility functions need neither to be convex, differentiable nor ‘smooth’ in any sense. We implemented TA for bond portfolio optimization with different utility criteria. The algorithms and computational results are presented. Under various utility functions, the ‘best’ portfolios look surprisingly different and have quite different qualities. Thus, for a portfolio manager it might be useful to provide himself with such a ‘multiple-taste’ optimizer in order to be able easily to readjust it according to his own personal utility considerations.     

Global Optimization Versus Integer Programming in Portfolio Optimization under Nonconvex Transaction Costs

This paper is concerned with a portfolio optimization problem under concave and piecewise constant transaction cost. We formulate the problem as nonconcave maximization problem under linear constraints using absolute deviation as a measure of risk and solve it by a branch and bound algorithm developed in the field of global optimization. Also, we compare it with a more standard 0–1 integer programming approach. We will show that a branch and bound method elaborating the special structure of the problem can solve the problem much faster than the state-of-the integer programming code.     

Mean-risk analysis of risk aversion and wealth effects on optimal portfolios with multiple investment opportunities

In this paper, we first define risk in an axiomatic way and a class of utility functions suitable for the so-called mean-risk analysis. Then, we show that, in a portfolio selection problem with multiple risky investments, an investor who is more risk averse in the Arrow-Pratt sense prefers less risk, in the sense of this paper, with less mean return, and an investor who displays increasing (decreasing) relative risk aversion becomes more conservative (aggressive) as the initial capital increases. The risk aversion effect for diversification on optimal portfolios is also discussed.     

Stochastic variational inequalities and optimal stopping: applications to the robustness of the portfolio/consumption processes

We give a new characterization of the Snell envelope of a given process as the unique solution of the stochastic variational inequality (SVI) in this article. This approach leads to several a priori estimates for the Snell envelopes and their components. The valuation for American Contingent Claims (ACC) in general financial market model is considered as an application. The robustness of the optimal portfolio/consumption processes with respect to the payoff function is established.     

Uniform quasi-concavity in probabilistic constrained stochastic programming

A probabilistic constrained stochastic linear programming problem is considered, where the rows of the random technology matrix are independent and normally distributed. The quasi-concavity of the constraining function needed for the convexity of the problem is ensured if the factors of the function are uniformly quasi-concave. A necessary and sufficient condition is given for that property to hold. It is also shown, through numerical examples, that such a special problem still has practical application in optimal portfolio construction.     

Portfolio adjusting optimization with added assets and transaction costs based on credibility measures

In response to changeful financial markets and investor’s capital, we discuss a portfolio adjusting problem with additional risk assets and a riskless asset based on credibility theory. We propose two credibilistic mean–variance portfolio adjusting models with general fuzzy returns, which take lending, borrowing, transaction cost, additional risk assets and capital into consideration in portfolio adjusting process. We present crisp forms of the models when the returns of risk assets are some deterministic fuzzy variables such as trapezoidal, triangular and interval types. We also employ a quadratic programming solution algorithm for obtaining optimal adjusting strategy. The comparisons of numeral results from different models illustrate the efficiency of the proposed models and the algorithm.     

OPTIMAL PORTFOLIO ON TRACKING THE EXPECTED WEALTH PROCESS WITH LIQUIDITY CONSTRAINTS

In this article, the authors consider the optimal portfolio on tracking the expected wealth process with liquidity constraints. The constrained optimal portfolio is first formulated as minimizing the cumulate variance between the wealth process and the expected wealth process. Then, the dynamic programming methodology is applied to reduce the whole problem to solving the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation coupled with the liquidity constraint, and the method of Lagrange multiplier is applied to handle the constraint. Finally, a numerical method is proposed to solve the constrained HJB equation and the constrained optimal strategy. Especially, the explicit solution to this optimal problem is derived when there is no liquidity constraint.     

Comonotonic approximations for a generalized provisioning problem with application to optimal portfolio selection

In this paper we discuss multiperiod portfolio selection problems related to a specific provisioning problem. Our results are an extension of Dhaene et al. (2005) [14], where optimal constant mix investment strategies are obtained in a provisioning and savings context, using an analytical approach based on the concept of comonotonicity. We derive convex bounds that can be used to estimate the provision to be set up at a specified time in future, to ensure that, after having paid all liabilities up to that moment, all liabilities from that moment on can be fulfilled, with a high probability.     

Inverse portfolio problem with mean-deviation model

A Markowitz-type portfolio selection problem is to minimize a deviation measure of portfolio rate of return subject to constraints on portfolio budget and on desired expected return. In this context, the inverse portfolio problem is finding a deviation measure by observing the optimal mean-deviation portfolio that an investor holds. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such a deviation measure are established. It is shown that if the deviation measure exists, it can be chosen in the form of a mixed CVaR-deviation, and in the case of n risky assets available for investment (to form a portfolio), it is determined by a combination of (n + 1) CVaR-deviations. In the later case, an algorithm for constructing the deviation measure is presented, and if the number of CVaR-deviations is constrained, an approximate mixed CVaR-deviation is offered as well. The solution of the inverse portfolio problem may not be unique, and the investor can opt for the most conservative one, which has a simple closed-form representation.     

Dynamic asset allocation for varied financial markets under regime switching framework

Asset allocation among diverse financial markets is essential for investors especially under situations such as the financial crisis of 2008. Portfolio optimization is the most developed method to examine the optimal decision for asset allocation. We employ the hidden Markov model to identify regimes in varied financial markets; a regime switching model gives multiple distributions and this information can convert the static mean–variance model into an optimization problem under uncertainty, which is the case for unobservable market regimes. We construct a stochastic program to optimize portfolios under the regime switching framework and use scenario generation to mathematically formulate the optimization problem. In addition, we build a simple example for a pension fund and examine the behavior of the optimal solution over time by using a rolling-horizon simulation. We conclude that the regime information helps portfolios avoid risk during left-tail events.