Investment strategy performance under tracking error constraints

The investment nous of active managers is judged on their ability to outperform specified benchmarks while complying with strict constraints on, for example, tracking errors, β and Value at Risk. Tracking error constraints give rise to a tracking error frontier – an ellipse in risk/return space which encloses theoretically possible (but not necessarily efficient) portfolios. The β frontier is a parabola in risk/return space and defines the threshold of portfolios subject to a specified β requirement. An α - TE frontier is similarly shaped: portfolios on this frontier have a specified TE for a maximum TE. Utility and associated risk aversion have also been explored for constrained portfolios. This paper contributes by establishing the impossibility of satisfying more than two constraints simultaneously and explores the behavior of these constraints on the maximum risk-adjusted return portfolio (defined arbitrarily here as the optimal portfolio).

The Ukrainian stock market is rated as an emerging market, which is characterized by high profitability and higher risk level as compared to developed economies. Securities transactions on the Ukrainian stock market are accompanied by stable uncertainties. Moreover, insurance is the most effective way to reduce financial risks and their negative effects. Given the current economic and political instability, financial risk insurance can ensure the economic performance of business entities and stimulate their further economic development. Financial risk insurance is the liability insurance in its nature, but its terms are often included in property insurance. This insurance sector has considerable facilities, which require activation of new insurance products that will be able to protect individual and institutional investors. Insurance and stock markets are direct competitors for limited investor resources, including strategic sources such as temporarily free institutional investor funds and household savings. In general, although there is a significant interaction between the insurance and other financial markets in Ukraine, it is hardly realized at all, unlike foreign economies, where it is used to its maximum. With the development of the insurance culture of the population and insurance in general, the relevance of insurance services in a high-risk segment like the stock market increases. The article harmonizes types of financial risks arising on the stock market with the methods of their leveling (insurance, hedging, diversification, etc.), determines the risk factors of the investor in the stock market, and specifies the professional risks of financial institutions. For the Ukrainian stock market participants, the use of two types of insurance coverage, namely, Bankers Blanket Bond and Financial Institution Professional Indemnity, is proposed.

The classical view of experts associates greater risks with greater rewards. The present study explores whether increased volatility in portfolios can create more returns for investors by using technical indicators or the buy-and-hold (BH) strategy. The study used closing prices of National Stock Exchange (NSE) 500 index firms for a period of 16 years (2007–2022). Five portfolios ranging from low to high volatility were created using standard deviation as a key measure. Findings indicate that as the volatility of the portfolios increases, the moving average (MA) returns seem to be higher. Across the various MA time frames, the 20-day MA seems to have generated the highest return annually (36.53% before transaction costs and 31.05% after transaction costs) due to reasonable trading opportunities with adjustable transaction costs. The CAPM also generated positive alpha (after bearing transaction costs) in the case of 20, 50, and 100 days MA, with the values being 16.66%, 13.29%, and 12.09%, respectively, in the case of highly volatile portfolios. On the other hand, while the BH strategy created substantial returns in all scenarios, the risk factor was extremely high due to the high standard deviation. Hence, it is suggested that investors/traders consider the BH strategy more cautiously while choosing between technical analysis returns and BH returns. Investors with high-risk preferences may have BH as their choice, while day traders with managed risk appetites may prefer technical tools over BH returns.

Acknowledgment
The infrastructural support provided by the FORE School of Management, New Delhi in completing this paper is gratefully acknowledged.