Portfolio Optimization And Performance Analysis

In answer to the intense development of new financial products and the increasing complexity of portfolio management theory, Portfolio Optimization and Performance Analysis offers a solid grounding in modern portfolio theory. The book presents both standard and novel results on the axiomatics of the individual choice in an uncertain framework, cont

For many years asset management was considered to be a marginal activity, but today, it is central to the development of financial industry throughout the world. Asset management's transition from an "art and craft" to an industry has inevitably called integrated business models into question, favouring specialisation strategies based on cost optimisation and learning curve objectives. This book connects each of these major categories of techniques and practices to the unifying and seminal conceptual developments of modern portfolio theory. In these bear market times, performance evaluation of portfolio managers is of central focus. This book will be one of very few on the market and is by a respected member of the profession. Allows the professionals, whether managers or investors, to take a step back and clearly separate true innovations from mere improvements to well-known, existing techniques Puts into context the importance of innovations with regard to the fundamental portfolio management questions, which are the evolution of the investment management process, risk analysis and performance measurement Takes the explicit or implicit assumptions contained in the promoted tools into account and, by so doing, evaluate the inherent interpretative or practical limits

This paper provides a review of the methods for measuring portfolio performance and the evidence on the performance of professionally managed investment portfolios. Traditional performance measures, strongly influenced by the Capital Asset Pricing Model of Sharpe (1964), were developed prior to 1990. We discuss some of the properties and important problems associated with these measures. We then review the more recent Conditional Performance Evaluation techniques, designed to allow for expected returns and risks that may vary over time, and thus addressing one major shortcoming of the traditional measures. We also discuss weight-based performance measures and the stochastic discount factor approach. We review the evidence that these newer measures have produced on selectivity and market timing ability for professional managed investment funds. The evidence includes equity style mutual funds, pension funds, asset allocation style funds, fixed income funds and hedge funds.

This collection of articles in investment and portfolio management spans the thirty-five-year collaborative effort of two key figures in finance. Each of the nine sections begins with an overview that introduces the main contributions of the pieces and traces the development of the field. Each volume contains a foreword by Nobel laureate Harry Markowitz. Volume I presents the authors' groundbreaking work on estimating the inputs to portfolio optimization, including the analysis of alternative structures such as single and multi-index models in forecasting correlations; portfolio maximization under alternative specifications for return structures; the impact of CAPM and APT in the investment process; and taxes and portfolio composition. Volume II covers the authors' work on analysts' expectations; performance evaluation of managed portfolios, including commodity, stock, and bond portfolios; survivorship bias and performance persistence; debt markets; and immunization and efficiency.

Praise for Robust Portfolio Optimization and Management "In the half century since Harry Markowitz introduced his elegant theory for selecting portfolios, investors and scholars have extended and refined its application to a wide range of real-world problems, culminating in the contents of this masterful book. Fabozzi, Kolm, Pachamanova, and Focardi deserve high praise for producing a technically rigorous yet remarkably accessible guide to the latest advances in portfolio construction." --Mark Kritzman, President and CEO, Windham Capital Management, LLC "The topic of robust optimization (RO) has become 'hot' over the past several years, especially in real-world financial applications. This interest has been sparked, in part, by practitioners who implemented classical portfolio models for asset allocation without considering estimation and model robustness a part of their overall allocation methodology, and experienced poor performance. Anyone interested in these developments ought to own a copy of this book. The authors cover the recent developments of the RO area in an intuitive, easy-to-read manner, provide numerous examples, and discuss practical considerations. I highly recommend this book to finance professionals and students alike." --John M. Mulvey, Professor of Operations Research and Financial Engineering, Princeton University

A comprehensive portfolio optimization guide, with provided MATLAB code Robust Equity Portfolio Management + Website offers the most comprehensive coverage available in this burgeoning field. Beginning with the fundamentals before moving into advanced techniques, this book provides useful coverage for both beginners and advanced readers. MATLAB code is provided to allow readers of all levels to begin implementing robust models immediately, with detailed explanations and applications in the equity market included to help you grasp the real-world use of each technique. The discussion includes the most up-to-date thinking and cutting-edge methods, including a much-needed alternative to the traditional Markowitz mean-variance model. Unparalleled in depth and breadth, this book is an invaluable reference for all risk managers, portfolio managers, and analysts. Portfolio construction models originating from the standard Markowitz mean-variance model have a high input sensitivity that threatens optimization, spawning a flurry of research into new analytic techniques. This book covers the latest developments along with the basics, to give you a truly comprehensive understanding backed by a robust, practical skill set. Get up to speed on the latest developments in portfolio optimization Implement robust models using provided MATLAB code Learn advanced optimization methods with equity portfolio applications Understand the formulations, performances, and properties of robust portfolios The Markowitz mean-variance model remains the standard framework for portfolio optimization, but the interest in—and need for—an alternative is rapidly increasing. Resolving the sensitivity issue and dramatically reducing portfolio risk is a major focus of today's portfolio manager. Robust Equity Portfolio Management + Website provides a viable alternative framework, and the hard skills to implement any optimization method.

Stochastic portfolio theory is a mathematical methodology for constructing stock portfolios and for analyzing the effects induced on the behavior of these portfolios by changes in the distribution of capital in the market. Stochastic portfolio theory has both theoretical and practical applications: as a theoretical tool it can be used to construct examples of theoretical portfolios with specified characteristics and to determine the distributional component of portfolio return. This book is an introduction to stochastic portfolio theory for investment professionals and for students of mathematical finance. Each chapter includes a number of problems of varying levels of difficulty and a brief summary of the principal results of the chapter, without proofs.

In spite of theoretical benefits, Markowitz mean-variance (MV) optimized portfolios often fail to meet practical investment goals of marketability, usability, and performance, prompting many investors to seek simpler alternatives. Financial experts Richard and Robert Michaud demonstrate that the limitations of MV optimization are not the result of conceptual flaws in Markowitz theory but unrealistic representation of investment information. What is missing is a realistic treatment of estimation error in the optimization and rebalancing process. The text provides a non-technical review of classical Markowitz optimization and traditional objections. The authors demonstrate that in practice the single most important limitation of MV optimization is oversensitivity to estimation error. Portfolio optimization requires a modern statistical perspective. Efficient Asset Management, Second Edition uses Monte Carlo resampling to address information uncertainty and define Resampled Efficiency (RE) technology. RE optimized portfolios represent a new definition of portfolio optimality that is more investment intuitive, robust, and provably investment effective. RE rebalancing provides the first rigorous portfolio trading, monitoring, and asset importance rules, avoiding widespread ad hoc methods in current practice. The Second Edition resolves several open issues and misunderstandings that have emerged since the original edition. The new edition includes new proofs of effectiveness, substantial revisions of statistical estimation, extensive discussion of long-short optimization, and new tools for dealing with estimation error in applications and enhancing computational efficiency. RE optimization is shown to be a Bayesian-based generalization and enhancement of Markowitz's solution. RE technology corrects many current practices that may adversely impact the investment value of trillions of dollars under current asset management. RE optimization technology may also be useful in other financial optimizations and more generally in multivariate estimation contexts of information uncertainty with Bayesian linear constraints. Michaud and Michaud's new book includes numerous additional proposals to enhance investment value including Stein and Bayesian methods for improved input estimation, the use of portfolio priors, and an economic perspective for asset-liability optimization. Applications include investment policy, asset allocation, and equity portfolio optimization. A simple global asset allocation problem illustrates portfolio optimization techniques. A final chapter includes practical advice for avoiding simple portfolio design errors. With its important implications for investment practice, Efficient Asset Management 's highly intuitive yet rigorous approach to defining optimal portfolios will appeal to investment management executives, consultants, brokers, and anyone seeking to stay abreast of current investment technology. Through practical examples and illustrations, Michaud and Michaud update the practice of optimization for modern investment management.