Portfolio Risk and Diversification Concepts
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Questions and Answers

What happens to portfolio risk when stock correlations are below 1?

  • There's no significant change in portfolio risk.
  • Portfolio risk reduces due to diversification. (correct)
  • Portfolio risk increases significantly.
  • Portfolio risk benchmarks the market risk.

You can completely eliminate all types of risk in a diversified portfolio.

False (B)

What are the two components of total risk in a portfolio?

Non-diversifiable Risk and Diversifiable Risk

The variance of a well-diversified portfolio of N stocks is denoted by Var(RP) and can be expressed using _______ and _______.

<p>average covariance, average variance</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the risk components with their definitions:

<p>Systematic Risk = Market Risk due to overall market movements Idiosyncratic Risk = Risk specific to a single asset Non-diversifiable Risk = Cannot be eliminated by diversification Diversifiable Risk = Can be reduced by holding a portfolio of assets</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the expected effect of increasing the number of stocks in a portfolio on diversifiable risk?

<p>Diversifiable risk decreases. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does a negative portfolio weight indicate?

<p>A short sale of the stock has occurred (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Positive correlation between stocks always leads to effective risk reduction through diversification.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A portfolio weight can only be positive or zero.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a well-diversified portfolio, what weight does each stock approximately have?

<p>1/N</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the formula for calculating realized portfolio returns?

<p>RP = ∑ wj Rj</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a short sale, you borrow a unit of stock from a ______.

<p>lender</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms with their descriptions:

<p>Portfolio Weight = The fraction of wealth allocated to a stock Short Sale = Selling borrowed stock with the intention to repurchase at a lower price Realized Return = The actual return earned on an investment Future Return = The expected return on an investment over a period</p> Signup and view all the answers

If you start with £1,000 and sell £250 of a stock short, what will the portfolio weight of the shorted stock be?

<p>-0.25 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

You can profit from a short sale if the price of the stock rises.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a short sale, what happens to the investor's position if the stock price rises?

<p>They lose money.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the set of efficient portfolios on the frontier?

<p>They provide the lowest risk for their particular level of expected return. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Inefficient portfolios lie on the left side of the efficient frontier.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What benefits are visible through portfolio diversification?

<p>Lower risk for a particular level of expected return.</p> Signup and view all the answers

The set of frontier portfolios represents those with the lowest risk for their particular level of expected ______.

<p>return</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the variable $e_j$ represent in the return equation?

<p>The expected return on stock j (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The mean return of the MSCI EM is higher than that of the FTSE-100.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the maximum return of EXXON?

<p>28.62</p> Signup and view all the answers

The __________ value of an asset is represented by $P_j$ in the return on stock formula.

<p>present</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following stock indices with their mean returns:

<p>FTSE-100 = 0.43 S&amp;P-500 = 0.73 MSCI World = 0.67 MSCI EM = 1.00</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which stock has the highest kurtosis value?

<p>LLOY (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A higher skewness value indicates that the distribution is more negatively skewed.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does σ stand for in stock market data?

<p>standard deviation</p> Signup and view all the answers

To calculate the expected return of stock j, you need to know the future price ($P_j$) and the future __________ ($D_j$).

<p>dividend</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which stock has the lowest minimum return recorded?

<p>LLOY (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the formula for the expected return of a two-stock portfolio?

<p>E(RP) = wE(RA) + (1 - w)E(RB) (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The variance of a portfolio return does not take into account the correlation between the stocks.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a portfolio consisting of N stocks, what does σj2 represent?

<p>The variance of returns on stock j.</p> Signup and view all the answers

If the correlation between two stocks is 1.0, the portfolio return standard deviation is given by σP = [______].

<p>w σA + (1 - w)σB</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the expected return of a portfolio if the weights of the stocks are changed?

<p>It changes based on the weight allocation. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Diversification reduces portfolio risk by decreasing the effect of individual stock variances.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does a correlation of less than 1.0 have on the portfolio variance formula?

<p>It reduces the magnitude of portfolio variance compared to when correlation is 1.0.</p> Signup and view all the answers

As the number of stocks in a portfolio increases, what happens to the first term in the variance formula for a well-diversified portfolio?

<p>It becomes zero (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The risk of a well-diversified portfolio is entirely eliminated as the number of stocks increases.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the average covariance of stock returns and the risk of a well-diversified portfolio?

<p>The risk is controlled by the average covariance; if stocks covary positively, the portfolio will have positive risk.</p> Signup and view all the answers

As N approaches infinity, the limit of the variance of a well-diversified portfolio is __________.

<p>C̄</p> Signup and view all the answers

If the average return standard deviation is 40%, what is the average variance?

<p>0.16 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Diversifying a portfolio can eliminate half of the average standard deviation if the average return correlation is 0.25.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary effect of diversifying a portfolio with stocks that have a positive covariance?

<p>The portfolio will have positive risk.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Expected Return of a Stock

The expected return of a stock is the expected value of the expression: (Future Price + Future Dividend) / Current Price - 1. This captures the anticipated growth of the stock's value over time.

Future Price of a Stock

The future price of a stock is uncertain and unknown as of today. It's the potential price investors expect the stock to be worth at a future point in time.

Future Dividend

The future dividend is the potential payment a company might make to its shareholders at a future date. It's also an uncertain value.

Standard Deviation of a Stock's Return

It's the statistical measure of how much a stock's price typically fluctuates around its average value. A higher standard deviation implies greater volatility.

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Skewness of a Stock's Return

Skewness measures the asymmetry of a stock's return distribution. A positive skew implies more extreme positive returns, while a negative skew suggests more extreme negative returns.

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Kurtosis of a Stock's Return

Kurtosis quantifies the 'peakedness' of a stock's return distribution. A high kurtosis implies more extreme returns (both positive and negative).

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Minimum Return of a Stock

The minimum return a stock has generated within a specific time period.

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Maximum Return of a Stock

The maximum return a stock has generated within a specific time period.

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Average Return of a Stock

The average return of a stock across a given period.

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Portfolio Weights

The allocation of an investor's wealth across different assets (stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.).

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Short selling

An investment strategy where an investor borrows an asset (e.g., stock), sells it in the market, and aims to buy it back later at a lower price to make a profit.

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Realised portfolio return

The return generated by an investment strategy based on the chosen portfolio weights.

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Future portfolio return

The expected future return on an investment portfolio, calculated using the expected returns of individual assets and their corresponding weights.

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Expected Portfolio Return

The expected return of a portfolio is the weighted average of the expected returns of the individual assets in the portfolio. The weights represent the proportion of the portfolio's value invested in each asset.

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Portfolio Risk

Portfolio risk is measured by the variance or standard deviation of the portfolio's return. It reflects the overall volatility of the portfolio's value.

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Covariance in Portfolio

The covariance between two assets' returns measures how their returns move together. A positive covariance indicates that the assets tend to move in the same direction, while a negative covariance suggests they move in opposite directions.

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Diversification Benefits

Diversification is the strategy of investing in a variety of assets to reduce overall portfolio risk. By investing in assets that are not perfectly correlated, investors can reduce the impact of any single asset's volatility on the overall portfolio.

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Correlation in a Portfolio

The correlation coefficient measures the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two assets' returns. A correlation of 1.0 indicates a perfect positive correlation (they move in the same direction), a correlation of -1.0 indicates a perfect negative correlation (they move in opposite directions), and a correlation of 0 indicates no linear relationship.

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Diversification

The reduction in risk achieved by combining different assets in a portfolio, especially when those assets have low correlations.

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Specific Risk

The portion of an asset's risk that can be eliminated through diversification. It is often associated with factors specific to a particular company or industry.

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Systematic Risk

The portion of an asset's risk that cannot be eliminated through diversification. It is often associated with factors that affect the entire market or economy.

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Positive Correlation

The tendency for asset prices to move in the same direction.

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Portfolio Risk < Weighted Average Risk

The portfolio risk is lower than the weighted average risk of the individual assets, due to the diversification effect.

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Limits to Diversification

The benefit of diversification decreases as the number of assets in a portfolio increases, because the assets in the portfolio tend to be increasingly correlated.

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Correlation

The degree to which assets move together. A correlation of 1 indicates perfect positive correlation, while a correlation of -1 indicates perfect negative correlation.

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Portfolio Variance Formula

This formula expresses the variance of a portfolio's return in terms of the variance and covariance of individual assets.

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Efficient Frontier

A collection of portfolios that offer the lowest possible risk for each level of expected return. These portfolios lie on the upward sloping part of the efficient frontier.

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Inefficient Portfolios

Portfolios that have higher risk than necessary for their level of expected return. They lie to the right of the efficient frontier.

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Feasible Set

A graphical representation showing all possible combinations of portfolios based on their expected return and risk (standard deviation).

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Single-Stock Portfolio

A portfolio consisting of just one asset, such as a single stock.

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Average Covariance

The average covariance between the returns of stocks in a portfolio. It measures how much the returns of individual stocks move together on average.

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Non-Diversifiable Risk

The risk associated with an investment portfolio that cannot be reduced through diversification. It arises from the average covariance between the returns of the assets in the portfolio.

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Diversifiable Risk

The risk of a portfolio that can be reduced by diversifying investments across different assets. It arises from the specific characteristics of the investments, such as their individual volatilities.

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Well Diversified Portfolio

A portfolio that aims to reduce risk by holding a large number of different assets, ideally with low average covariance between their returns.

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Positive Covariance

The tendency for the returns of different assets to move together, leading to a higher correlation coefficient.

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Diversification Effect

The reduction in risk achieved by holding a diverse portfolio, as some assets will perform better than others when others are performing poorly.

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Study Notes

Equity Securities and Markets - SMM940

  • Course taught by Joe Gong
  • Course offered in Autumn 2024
  • Covers financial markets and financial intermediation
  • Module outline includes:
    • Part 1: Financial markets (risk & returns, asset pricing, CAPM, other security classes)
    • Part 2: Financial intermediaries (why banks?, types of banking, fintech, bank regulation)

Assessment

  • Group coursework (25%):
    • Weeks 1-5
    • Portfolio optimization
    • Deadline: 4 PM Monday, December 2nd
  • Final exam (75%):
    • 40% of the exam questions from weeks 1-5
    • 60% of the exam questions from weeks 6-10
    • Qualitative and quantitative questions
    • Choice of questions
    • Date: To be determined (probably in January)

About the Instructor

  • Experience: Five years teaching undergraduate and postgraduate finance and banking modules
  • Contact information:
    • Office hours (in person or virtually): Wednesday afternoons 3-4 PM
    • Office: Location TBD (under construction)
    • Email: [email protected]
  • Recommendations:
    • Ask questions
    • Review tutorial questions before solutions and videos are released

Today's Topic (Example)

  • Basics (e.g., diversification)
  • Summary

Roadmap

  • Stock and portfolio returns: definitions and data
  • Portfolio analysis for risk-averse investors
  • Application to real-world data

Stock Returns

  • Realized return on stock j over a historical period is:
    • Rj = [(Pj + Dj) - P0,j] / P0,j
    • Where:
      • P0,j = Beginning of period price
      • Pj = End of period price
      • Dj = Dividend on stock
  • When looking forward in time, the return on stock j is:
    • Rj = (Pj + Dj) / Pj
    • Where:
      • Pj = Future price
      • Dj = Future dividend

Recent Stock Market Data

  • Various stock market indices (FTSE 100, SP500, MSCI World, MSCI EM, Lloyds, Exxon, Microsoft)
  • Data presented in charts showing historical trends and returns.
  • Detailed data (mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, minimum, maximum values also shown in Table form) for FTSE-100, S&P-500, MSCI World, MSCI EM, LLOYD, XOM (Exxon) and MSFT (Microsoft).

Portfolio Weights

  • Investor spreads wealth across N assets.
  • Allocates a fraction wj of wealth to asset j (where Σwj = 1)
  • Call wj portfolio weight on stock j.
    • Positive wj: Stock purchased (long position)
    • Zero wj: Stock ignored
    • Negative wj: Stock sold short

Short Sales

  • Borrow a stock from a lender
  • Sell the stock receiving cash today
  • Pay cash to buy the stock in the market later and return it to the lender
  • Profit if stock price falls while you're short
  • Loss if stock price rises while you're short

Portfolio Returns

  • Realized portfolio return given an investment strategy
  • Rp = ΣwjRj
  • Future portfolio return:
    • Rp = ΣwjRj

Risk and Return: 2 Stock Portfolios

  • Investor's expected portfolio return and portfolio risk:
  • E(Rp) = wE(RA) + (1 - w)E(RB)
  • Var(Rp) = w2σA2 + (1 - w)2σB2 + 2w(1 - w)σA,BρA,B
  • Expected portfolio returns are derived linearly from expected stock returns
  • Portfolio return variance depends on stock return variances and stock return correlation.

Portfolio Return and Risk: N Stock Portfolios

  • When the investor builds a portfolio of N stocks, we have:
  • E(Rp) = Σj=1N wjE(Rj)
  • Var(Rp) = Σi=1N Σj=1N wiwjσi,j

Diversification

  • Limits of diversification: Portfolio variance is unlikely to reach zero due to positive correlations between stocks.
  • Total risk = Non-diversifiable risk + Diversifiable risk = Systematic risk + Specific/Idiosyncratic risk = Market risk + Idiosyncratic risk
  • Diversification eliminates idiosyncratic risk; but cannot eliminate systematic risk (market risk)

Limits to Diversification: Maths

  • The risk of well diversified portfolios is controlled by the average covariance between stock returns. As stocks positively correlate on average, diversification will have less impact
  • This risk converges (when the # of stocks is large) to the average covariance term
    Note diversification in a large portfolio reduces portfolio risk

Portfolio Analysis: Data

  • Data: 10 years of monthly returns on 3 stocks (UU, GSK, RIO) from the London Stock Exchange,
  • Stocks represented in GBP

Stock-Level Descriptive Statistics

  • Table of descriptive statistics for UU, GSK, RIO (mean, standard deviation, percentiles, median, monthly).
  • Annualization method discussed.

Stock-Level Correlations

  • Correlation matrix for UU, GSK, RIO returns.
  • High correlation suggests potential for diversification.

Some Simple 3 Stock Portfolios

  • Equally Weighted Portfolios: (weight of each stock = 1/3) and empirical correlation between returns were used.
  • Non-Equally Weighted Portfolios were selected, weights 0.25, 0.30, 0.45 to demonstrate portfolio diversificaiton in action.

The Feasible Set of Portfolios

  • Method to generate a portfolio consisting of the three stocks.
  • Calculating weights for each stock
  • Plotting these portfolios on a graph (x-axis is portfolio variance/standard deviation, y-axis is average/expected return)

Feasible Set: Interpretation

  • Individual stock locations and diversification benefits are visible
  • Identifying frontier portfolios: lowest risk portfolios for a specified return.
  • Identification of inefficient portfolios
  • Identifying efficient portfolios

Summary

  • Demonstrating portfolio risk calculation
  • Showing the effects of diversification and its limits
  • Applying concepts to a practical example of stock portfolios.

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Slides Lecture 1 PDF

Description

Test your understanding of portfolio risk, diversification, and the concepts related to stock correlations. This quiz covers key components of total risk, the effects of increasing stock numbers on diversifiable risk, and the implications of portfolio weights. Perfect for finance students looking to deepen their knowledge.

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