Diversification and the Optimal Construction of Basis Portfolios

Bruce N. Lehmann and David M. Modest

No 9461, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Nontrivial diversification possibilities arise when a factor model describes security returns. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive examination of the merits of various strategies for constructing basis portfolios that are, in principle, highly correlated with the common factors underlying security returns. Three main conclusions emerge from our study. First, increasing the number of securities included in the analysis dramatically improves basis portfolio performance. Our results indicate that factor models involving 750 securities provide markedly superior performance to those involving 30 or 250 securities. Second, comparatively efficient estimation procedures such as maximum likelihood and restricted maximum likelihood factor analysis (which imposes the APT mean restriction) significantly outperform the less efficient instrumental variables and principal components procedures that have been proposed in the literature. Third, a variant of the usual Fama-MacBeth portfolio formation procedure, which we call the minimum idiosyncratic risk portfolio formation procedure, outperformed the Fama-MacBeth procedure and proved equal to or better than more expensive quadratic programming procedures.

JEL-codes: G1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cfn, nep-fin, nep-fmk and nep-rmg
Note: AP
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published as Lehmann, Bruce N. and David M. Modest. "Diversification and the Optimal Construction of Basis Portfolios." Management Science 51, 4 (2005): 581-598.

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