1. Portfolio Management & Investment Analysis
#FIN 363
Instructor: C. Aloui
Department of Finance – College Of Business Administration
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2. Chapter 1- An Introduction to Portfolio Management
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3. The Main Objectives of the Chapter (1)
After you read this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:
What do we mean by risk aversion, and what evidence indicates that investors are generally risk averse?
What are the basic assumptions behind the Markowitz portfolio theory?
What do we mean by risk, and what are some of the alternative measures of risk used in investments?
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4. The Main Objectives of the Chapter (2)
How do you compute the expected rate of return for an individual risky asset or a portfolio of assets?
How do you compute the standard deviation of rates of return for an individual risky asset?
What do we mean by the covariance between rates of return, and how do you compute covariance?
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5. The Main Objectives of the Chapter (3)
What is the formula for the standard deviation for a portfolio of risky assets, and how does it differ from the standard deviation of an individual risky asset?
Given the formula for the standard deviation of a portfolio, why and how do you diversify a portfolio?
What happens to the standard deviation of a portfolio when you change the correlation between the assets in the portfolio?
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6. The Main Objectives of the Chapter (4)
What is the risk-return–efficient frontier of risky assets?
Is it reasonable for alternative investors to select different portfolios from the portfolios on the efficient frontier?
What determines which portfolio on the efficient frontier is selected by an individual investor?
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7. The Main Objectives of the Chapter (5)
Before presenting portfolio theory, we need to clarify some general assumptions of the theory.
This includes not only what we mean by an optimum portfolio but also what we mean by the terms risk aversion and risk.
One basic assumption of portfolio theory is that as an investor you want to maximize the returns from your investments for a given level of risk.
To adequately deal with such an assumption, certain ground rules must be laid. First, your portfolio should include all of your assets and liabilities.
The full spectrum of investments must be considered because the returns from all these investments interact, and this relationship between the returns for assets in the portfolio is important.
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8. Porfolio Management & Investment Analysis - # 363
The Chapter Outline
This chapter explains portfolio theory step by step.
It introduces you to the basic portfolio risk formula that you must understand when you are combining different assets.
When you understand this formula and its implications, you will increase your understanding of not only why you should diversify your portfolio but also how you should diversify.
The subsequent chapters introduce asset pricing models including capital market theory and multifactor models.
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9. Some Background Assumptions -1
Portfolio theory also assumes that investors are basically risk averse, meaning that, given a choice between two assets with equal rates of return, they will select the asset with the lower level of risk.
Evidence that most investors are risk averse is that they purchase various types of insurance, including life insurance, car insurance, and health insurance.
Buying insurance basically involves an outlay of a given amount to guard against an uncertain, possibly larger outlay in the future. When you buy insurance, this implies that you are willing to pay the current known cost of the insurance policy to avoid the uncertainty of a potentially large future cost related to a car accident or a major illness.
Further evidence of risk aversion is the difference in promised yield (the required rate of return) for different grades of bonds that supposedly have different degrees of credit risk.
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10. Some Background Assumptions -2
While recognizing this diversity of attitudes, our basic assumption is that most investors committing
large sums of money to developing an investment portfolio are risk averse. Therefore, we
expect a positive relationship between expected return and expected risk.
Notably, this is also what we generally find in terms of long-run historical results—that is, there is generally a positive relationship between the rates of return on various assets and their measures of risk as shown in Chapter 3.
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11. Porfolio Management & Investment Analysis - # 363
Definition of Risk
Although there is a difference in the specific definitions of risk and uncertainty, for our purposes and in most financial literature the two terms are used interchangeably. In fact, one way to define risk
Risk Aversion
Risk is the uncertainty of future outcomes. An alternative definition might be the probability of an adverse outcome. Subsequently, in our discussion of portfolio theory, we will consider several measures of risk that are used when developing the theory.
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12. Stock Price Behavior and Risk
Fig. 1-1 – Almarai
Fig – Salama Cooperative Insurance Co.
Comments:
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13. Stock price co-movement (Saudi Stock Market –TADAWUL)
Fig. 2.3 – stock price co-movements
we notice a linear tendency for Almarai stock operating in the Retail sector.
Almarai stock is increasing during the whole period.
Salama stock price seems to be more volatile. because of its high fluctuation during the same period.
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14. Stock price co-movement (2)
We expect a negative correlation (co-movement) between the two stocks.
Having a negative correlation between the stocks will be useful for portfolio management.
In fact, selecting these two stocks reduces the level of portfolio risk. Diversification will be useful in this case.
We expect negative correlation between the two stocks because we have two firms operating in two different sectors.
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15. Markowitz Portfolio Theory (1)
In the early 1960s, the investment community talked about risk, but there was no specific measure for the term.
To build a portfolio model, however, investors had to quantify their risk variable.
The basic portfolio model was developed by Harry Markowitz, who derived the expected rate of return for a portfolio of assets and an expected risk measure.
Markowitz showed that the variance of the rate of return was a meaningful measure of portfolio risk under a reasonable set of assumptions, and he derived the formula for computing the variance of a portfolio.
Harry Markowitz
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16. Markowitz Portfolio Theory (2)
The Markowitz model is based on several assumptions regarding investor behavior:
Investors consider each investment alternative as being represented by a probability distribution of expected returns over some holding period.
Investors maximize one-period expected utility, and their utility curves demonstrate diminishing marginal utility of wealth.
Investors estimate the risk of the portfolio on the basis of the variability of expected returns.
Investors base decisions solely on expected return and risk, so their utility curves are a function of expected return and the expected variance (or standard deviation) of returns only.
For a given risk level, investors prefer higher returns to lower returns. Similarly, for a given level of expected return, investors prefer less risk to more risk.
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17. Alternative Measures of Risk (1)
One of the best-known measures of risk is the variance, or standard deviation of expected returns.
It is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns around the expected value whereby a larger variance or standard deviation indicates greater dispersion. The idea is that the more disperse the expected returns, the greater the uncertainty of future returns.
Another measure of risk is the range of returns. It is assumed that a larger range of expected returns, from the lowest to the highest return, means greater uncertainty and risk regarding future expected returns.
Instead of using measures that analyze all deviations from expectations, some observers believe that when you invest you should be concerned only with returns below expectations.
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18. Alternative Measures of Risk (2)
Although there are numerous potential measures of risk, we will use the variance or standard deviation of returns because
this measure is somewhat intuitive,
it is a correct and widely recognized risk measure, and
it has been used in most of the theoretical asset pricing models.
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19. The Expected Rate of Return (1)
Table 1
The expected rate of return for an individual investment is computed as shown in Table 1
The expected return for an individual risky asset with the set of potential returns and an assumption of equal probabilities used in the example would be 11%.
The expected rate of return for a portfolio of investments is simply the weighted average of the expected rates of return for the individual investments in the portfolio.
The weights are the proportion of total value for the investment.
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20. The Expected Rate of Return (2)
The expected return for a portfolio of risky assets is computed as follows
Table 2
𝑬 𝑹 𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 = 𝒊=𝟏 𝒏 𝑾 𝒊 𝑬 𝑹 𝒊
𝑾 𝒊 : the percent of the portfolio in asset i
𝑬 𝑹 𝒊 : the expected rate of return for asset i
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21. Variance (Standard Deviation) of Returns for an Individual Investment
We will be using the variance or the standard deviation of returns as the measure of risk.
The variance, or standard deviation, is a measure of the variation of possible rates of return, 𝑹 𝒊 from the expected rate of return 𝑬( 𝑹 𝒊 ) as follows:
𝑽𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝝈 𝟐 = 𝒊=𝟏 𝒏 𝑹 𝒊 −𝑬( 𝑹 𝒊 ) 𝟐 𝒑 𝒊
𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝝈 = 𝒊=𝟏 𝒏 𝑹 𝒊 −𝑬( 𝑹 𝒊 ) 𝟐 𝒑 𝒊
𝒑 𝒊
Is the probability of a possible rate of return
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22. Covariance and Correlation (1)
The computation of the variance and standard deviation of the expected rate of return for the individual risky asset in Table 3. Two basic concepts in statistics, covariance and correlation, must be understood before we discuss the formula for the variance of the rate of return for a portfolio. The Covariance The covariance is a measure of the degree to which two variables “move together” relative to their individual mean values over time. In portfolio analysis, we usually are concerned with the covariance of rates of return rather than prices or some other variable.
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23. Covariance and Correlation (2)
Positive Covariance means that the rates of return for two investments tend to move in the same direction relative to their individual means during the same time period.
In contrast, a negative covariance indicates that the rates of return for two investments tend to move in different directions relative to their means during specified time intervals over time.
The magnitude of the covariance depends on the variances of the individual return series, as well as on the relationship between the series.
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24. Variance (Standard Deviation) of Returns for a Portfolio
Two basic concepts in statistics, covariance and correlation, must be understood before we discuss the formula for the variance of the rate of return for a portfolio.
Covariance is a measure of the degree to which two variables “move together” relative to their individual mean values over time. In portfolio analysis, we usually are concerned with the covariance of rates of return rather than prices or some other variable
For 2 assets (i) and (j) the covariance of rates of returns is defined as follows:
𝑪𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒋=𝑬 𝑹 𝒊 −𝑬( 𝑹 𝒊 ) 𝑹 𝒋 −𝑬( 𝑹 𝒋 )
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25. Computation of the Variance for an Individual Stock
𝑪𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒋=𝑬 𝑹 𝒊 −𝑬( 𝑹 𝒊 ) 𝑹 𝒋 −𝑬( 𝑹 𝒋 )
Table 2: Computation of the variance (SD) for an individual stock
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26. Example: Computation of Monthly Rates of Return
Table 2: Computation of the montly rates of returns
𝑪𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒋= 𝟏 𝟏𝟐 𝒊=𝟏 𝟏𝟐 𝑹 𝒊 −𝑬( 𝑹 𝒊 ) 𝑹 𝒋 −𝑬( 𝑹 𝒋 )
The Table contains the monthly closing prices and dividends for Coca-Cola and Home Depot.
Figures 1 and 2 contain a time-series plot of the monthly rates of return for the two stocks.
Although the rates of return for the two stocks moved together during some months, in other months they moved in opposite directions.
The covariance statistic provides an absolute measure of how they moved together over time.
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27. Time Series of Monthly Rates of Returns For COCA COLA
Figs. 1 and 2 Time series of rates of return for Coca Cola and Home Depot
If the rates of return for one stock are above (below) its mean rate of return during a given period and the returns for the other stock are likewise above (below) its mean rate of return during this same period, then the product of these deviations from the mean is positive.
If this happens consistently, the covariance of returns between these two stocks will be some large positive value.
If, however, the rate of return for one of the securities is above its mean return while the return on the other security is below its mean return, the product will be negative.
If this contrary movement happened consistently, the covariance between the rates of return for the two stocks would be a large negative value.
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28. Computation of Covariance of Returns For Coca-Cola and Home Depot (1)
Table 3: Computation of the covariance between CoCa Cola and Home Depot using monthly returns
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29. Covariance and Correlation
Covariance and Correlation Covariance is affected by the variability of the two individual return series.
Therefore, a number such as the 6.37 in our example might indicate a weak positive relationship if the two individual series were volatile but would reflect a strong positive relationship if the two series were very stable. Obviously, you want to “standardize” this covariance measure taking into consideration the variability of the two individual return series, as follows:
𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊,𝒋 = 𝝆 𝒊,𝒋 = 𝒓 𝒊,𝒋 = 𝑪𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒋 𝝈 𝒊 𝝈 𝒋
𝝈 𝒊 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝝈 𝒋
are the standard deviations for asset returns (i) and (j)
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30. Computation of Covariance of Returns For Coca-Cola and Home Depot (2)
The standard deviation for each series is the square root of the variance for each, as follows:
𝝈= 𝟏 𝟏𝟐 𝟒𝟎𝟒.𝟑𝟒 =𝟑𝟑.𝟔𝟗, 𝝈= 𝟏 𝟏𝟐 𝟏𝟐𝟒.𝟗𝟎 =𝟑𝟑.𝟔𝟗
𝝈 𝒊 = 𝟑𝟑.𝟔𝟗 =𝟓.𝟖𝟎
𝝈 𝒋 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑.𝟒𝟏 =𝟏𝟎.𝟏𝟕
Thus, based on the covariance between the two series and the individual standard deviations, we can calculate the correlation coefficient between returns for Coca-Cola and Home Depot.
This formula also implies that Covij = rij σiσj (.108)(5.80)(10.17) = 6.37
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31. Portfolio Standard Deviation Formula (1)
Now that we have discussed the concepts of covariance and correlation, we can consider the formula for computing the standard deviation of returns for a portfolio of assets, our measure of risk for a portfolio. The expected rate of return of the portfolio was the weighted average of the expected returns for the individual assets in the portfolio; the weights were the percentage of value of the portfolio. One might assume it is possible to derive the standard deviation of the portfolio in the same manner, that is, by computing the weighted average of the standard deviations for the individual assets.
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32. Portfolio Standard Deviation Formula (2)
𝝈 𝑷𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒐 = 𝒊=𝟏 𝒏 𝒘 𝒊 𝟐 𝝈 𝒋 𝟐 + 𝒊 𝒏 𝒋 𝒏 𝒘 𝒊 𝒘 𝒋 𝑪𝒐𝒗 𝒊,𝒋
𝜎 𝑃𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑜 = the standard deviation of the portfolio
𝑤 𝑖 = the weights of the individual assets in the portfolio, where weights are determined by the proportion of value in the portfolio;
𝜎 𝑗 2 = the variance of rates of return for assets (j);
𝐶𝑜𝑣 𝑖,𝑗 = the covariance between the rates of return for assets i and j;
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33. Portfolio Standard Deviation Formula (3)
This formula indicates that the standard deviation for a portfolio of assets is a function of the weighted average of the individual variances, plus the weighted covariances between all the assets in the portfolio.
The standard deviation for a portfolio of assets encompasses not only the variances of the individual assets but also includes the covariances between pairs of individual assets in the portfolio.
Further, it can be shown that, in a portfolio with a large number of securities, this formula reduces to the sum of the weighted covariances.
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34. Constant Correlation with Changing Weights (1)
If we changed the weights of the two assets while holding the correlation coefficient constant, we would derive a set of combinations that trace an ellipse starting at Asset 2, going through the 0.50 – 0.50 point, and ending at Asset 1.
We can demonstrate this with Case c, in which the correlation coefficient of zero eases the computations.
We begin with 100 percent in Asset 2 (Case f) and change the weights as follows, ending with 100 percent in Asset m (Case m):
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35. Constant Correlation with Changing Weights (2)
Case w1 w2
Expected return
Portfolio risk f
0.00
1.00
0.20
0.10 g
0.80
0.18
0.0812 h
0.40
0.60
0.16
0.0662 i
0.50
0.15
0.0610 j
0.14
0.0580 k
0.12
0.0595 m
0.0700
A graph of these combinations appears in Figure 1 for the curve with r1,2 = You could derive a complete curve by simply varying the weighting by smaller increments.
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36. Porfolio Management & Investment Analysis - # 363
Portfolio Risk-Return Plots for Different Weights when correlations are varying (1)
Figure 1
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Portfolio Risk-Return Plots for Different Weights when correlations are varying (2)
As shown in Figure 1, the curvature in the graph depends on the correlation between the two assets or portfolios.
With rij = +1.00, the combinations lie along a straight line between the two assets.
When rij = 0.50, the curve is to the right of our rij = 0.00 curve, while the rij = –0.50 is to the left.
When rij = –1.00, the graph would be two straight lines that would touch at the vertical line (zero risk) with some combination.
It is possible to solve for the specified set of weights that would give a portfolio with zero risk.
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38. Porfolio Management & Investment Analysis - # 363
Portfolio Risk-Return Plots for Different Weights when correlations are varying (3)
It is important to keep in mind that the results of this portfolio asset allocation depend on the accuracy of the statistical inputs.
This means that for every asset (or asset class) being considered for inclusion in the portfolio, you must estimate its expected returns and standard deviation.
The correlation coefficient among the entire set of assets must also be estimated. The number of correlation estimates can be significant—for example, for a portfolio of 100 securities, the number is 4,950 (that is, ).
The potential source of error that arises from these approximations is referred to as estimation risk.
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Estimation Issues (1)
It is possible to reduce the number of correlation coefficients that must be estimated by assuming that stock returns can be described by a single index market model as follows:
𝑹 𝒊 = 𝒂 𝒊 + 𝒃 𝒊 𝑹 𝑴 + 𝜺 𝒊
Where:
𝑏 𝑖 = the slope coefficient that relates the returns for security i to the returns for the aggregate stock market
𝑅 𝑀 = the returns for the aggregate stock market.
If all the securities are similarly related to the market and a slope coefficient (bi) is derived for each one, it can be shown that the correlation coefficient between two securities i and j is given as:
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40. Porfolio Management & Investment Analysis - # 363
Estimation Issues (2)
If all the securities are similarly related to the market and a slope coefficient (bi) is derived
for each one, it can be shown that the correlation coefficient between two securities i and j is
given as:
𝒓 𝒊,𝒋 = 𝒃 𝒊 𝒃 𝒋 𝝈 𝒎 𝟐 𝝈 𝒊 𝝈 𝒋
where:
𝜎 𝑚 2 = the variance of returns for the aggregate stock market
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Estimation Issues (3)
This reduces the number of estimates from 4,950 to 100—that is, once you have derived a slope estimate (bi) for each security, the correlation estimates can be computed.
Keep in mind that this assumes that the single index market model provides a good estimate of security returns.
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42. The Efficient Frontier (1)
If we examined different two-asset combinations and derived the curves assuming all the possible weights, we would have a graph like that in Exhibit 7.14.
The envelope curve that contains the best of all these possible combinations is referred to as the efficient frontier. Specifically, the efficient frontier represents that set of portfolios that has the maximum rate of return for every given level of risk, or the minimum risk for every level of return.
An example of such a frontier is shown in Figure 2. Every portfolio that lies on the efficient frontier has either a higher rate of return for equal risk or lower risk for an equal rate of return than some portfolio beneath the frontier.
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43. The Efficient Frontier (2)
Thus, we would say that Portfolio A in Figure 2 dominates Portfolio C because it has an equal rate of return but substantially less risk.
Similarly, Portfolio B dominates Portfolio C because it has equal risk but a higher expected rate of return.
Because of the benefits of diversification among imperfectly correlated assets, we would expect the efficient frontier to be made up of portfolios of investments rather than individual securities.
Two possible exceptions arise at the end points, which represent the asset with the highest return and that asset with the lowest risk
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44. Numerous Portfolio Combinations of Available Assets
Figure 2
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45. Efficient Frontier for Alternative Portfolios
As an investor, you will target a point along the efficient frontier based on your utility function and your attitude toward risk.
No portfolio on the efficient frontier can dominate any other portfolio on the efficient frontier.
All of these portfolios have different return and risk measures, with expected rates of return that increase with higher risk.
Figure 3. Efficient Frontier
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46. The Efficient Frontier: An Excel Numerical Example
EA = 10%
EB = 14%
σA = 2%
σB = 4%
Corr(A,B) = 0.7 WA WB
E(RP)
σ ² (RP) 1
10.00%
0.0004
0.9
0.1
10.40%
0.8
0.2
10.80%
0.7
0.3
11.20%
0.6
0.4
11.60%
0.5
12.00%
12.40%
12.80%
13.20%
13.60%
14.00%
0.0016
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47. Selecting of Risky Portfolio on the Efficient Frontier (1)
Figure 4. Efficient Frontier and investor utility
The curve in Figure 4 shows that the slope of the efficient frontier curve decreases steadily as you move upward.
This implies that adding equal increments of risk as you move up the efficient frontier gives you diminishing increments of expected return.
To evaluate this slope, we calculate the slope of the efficient frontier as follows:
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48. Selecting of Risky Portfolio on the Efficient Frontier (2)
An individual investor’s utility curves specify the trade-offs he or she is willing to make between expected return and risk.
In conjunction with the efficient frontier, these utility curves determine which particular portfolio on the efficient frontier best suits an individual investor.
Two investors will choose the same portfolio from the efficient set only if their utility curves are identical.
Figure 5 shows two sets of utility curves along with an efficient frontier of investments. The curves labeled U1 are for a strongly risk-averse investor (with U3 U2 U1).
These utility curves are quite steep, indicating that the investor will not tolerate much additional risk to obtain additional returns. The investor is equally disposed toward any E(R), σ combinations along a specific utility curve, such as U1 as follows: ∆𝐸( 𝑅 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑜 ) ∆ 𝜎 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑜 .
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49. Selecting of Risky Portfolio on the Efficient Frontier (3)
The curves labeled U1′ (U3′ U2′ U1′) characterize a less-risk-averse investor. Such an investor is willing to tolerate a bit more risk to get a higher expected return.
The optimal portfolio is the portfolio on the efficient frontier that has the highest utility for a given investor. It lies at the point of tangency between the efficient frontier and the curve with the highest possible utility. A conservative investor’s highest utility is at point X in Figure 5.
where the curve U2 just touches the efficient frontier. A less-risk-averse investor’s highest utility occurs at point Y, which represents a portfolio with a higher expected return and higher risk than the portfolio at X.
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50. The Internet Investments Online
By seeking to operate on the efficient frontier, portfolio managers try to minimize risk for a certain level of return, or maximize return for a given level of risk. Some interesting Web sites for money managers include:
This is the home page for Pensions and Investments, a newspaper for money managers.
Investment News is a sister publication to Pensions and
Investments, with a focus toward the financial advisor.
Software for creating efficient frontiers are available from firms such as Ibbotson Associates
( Zephyr Associates ( Wagner Associates ( and Efficient Solutions, Inc. (
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The basic Markowitz portfolio model derived the expected rate of return for a portfolio of assets and a measure of expected risk, which is the standard deviation of expected rate of return.
Markowitz shows that the expected rate of return of a portfolio is the weighted average of the expected return for the individual investments in the portfolio. The standard deviation of a portfolio is a function not only of the standard deviations for the individual investments but also of the covariance between the rates of return for all the pairs of assets in the portfolio.
Summary
In Slide Show mode, click the arrow to enter the PowerPoint Getting Started Center.
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Assuming numerous assets and a multitude of combination curves, the efficient frontier is the envelope curve that encompasses all of the best combinations. It defines the set of portfolios that has the highest expected return for each given level of risk or the minimum risk for each given level of return.
From this set of dominant portfolios, you select the one that lies at the point of tangency between the efficient frontier and your highest utility curve. Because risk-return utility functions differ among investors, your point of tangency and, therefore, your portfolio choice will probably differ from those of other investors.
Summary
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