Modern Portfolio Theory

History

  • Harry Markowitztodo research a bit
  • balance risk and return
    • just highest expected return is not reasonable
    • utility is more important
  • optimal portfolio = minimal risk for a given return
    • or maximum return for a given risk
  • ground work for modern theory
  • expected return = average of historical returns
    • no sensible prediction possible
  • volatilityslides 76
  • diversificationslides 76
    • uncorrelated stocks are not affected by same risks

Optimal Portfolio

Simplified Model

Portfolio Frontier

  • only 2 stocks
    • perfect correlation … line between 2 portfolios
    • perfect non-correlation … line between a … y-axis and y-axis b
    • non-extreme correlation … curved line between a and b to the left of perfect correlation function
  • more than 2 stocks
    • a region encompassing all stocks
    • looks a bit like a right/left flipped D
  • efficient frontier
    • only part of the portfolio frontier is efficient (optimal)
    • part is the monotonously increasing (upper) part of the portfolio frontier curve

Investor Preference

  • Indifference Curve and efficient portfolio line are tangent
    • indifference curve dependent on preferences of investor
  • the intersection is the optimal choice of an investor
  • called a “tangency portolio”