Managing Investment Growth Of A Diversified Portfolio

Markowitz (1952, 1956) pioneered the development of a quantitative method that takes the diversification benefits of portfolio allocation into account. Modern portfolio theory is the result of his work on portfolio optimization. Ideally, in a mean-variance optimization model, the complete investment opportunity set, i.e. all assets, should be considered simultaneously. However, in practice, most investors distinguish between different asset classes within their portfolio-allocation frameworks.

“The Benefits of diversification are clear. Portfolio theory has played a crucial role in explaining the relationship between risk and return where more than one investment is held. It also enables us to identify optimal and efficient portfolios.”

The lower the risk that is associated with an investment, that investment usually has a potential for lower returns. Conversely, if there are high levels of risk associated with an investment, and in turn a potential for a higher return.

This essay will highlight the use of Capital asset pricing model ( CAPM ) to be considered as a pricing theory model for assets . CAPM model helps investors to analyse the risk and what expectation to keep from an investment (Banz , 1981) . There are two types of risk

Market risk, or beta risk, is described as a reflection of a project on stockholders’ risk of a diversified portfolio. Many factors can influence the market such as war, inflation, and recession. Market risk is measured by the firm’s beta coefficient to determine the effects the market has on the portfolio. In addition to market risk, there are two forms of risk that managers use to calculate the risk of a particular project related to holding a diversified portfolio. Stand-alone risk is used when the firm’s only holds one asset or a single stock. Corporate, or within-firm risk is the measurement of all assets or stocks held by the firm. Of these three risks, the Capital Asset Pricing Model states the market risk is the risk

Over a long time horizon researchers have contradictory views about investment in portfolio, are “Put all your eggs in one basket” and “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. The latter one is supported by many and known as diversification [7]. Diversification is associated with reducing risk and maximizing returns of investors and portfolio managers i.e. risk-return trade off. An investor gets benefitted by spreading his scarce resources over various assets [2, 8] which maximizes return and minimizes risk.

The main message of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) attempts to find value in financial assets by connecting an asset's return and its risk. It is a simple analytical tool used to find a rather straightforward and simple question: How much risk is contained in this investment?

Risk can be defined as “The possibility of a (negative) event occurring”. Risk and uncertainty go hand in hand. When you are certain about something that you do then there is less or no risk involved. There is more risk when there is uncertainty about a particular outcome and you still go for it.

The return from an investment is the change in market price, plus any cash payments received due to ownership, divided by the beginning price. The risk of a security can be viewed as the variability of returns from those that are expected.

The propriety models underpinning our Optimal Market Portfolio incorporate more than 40 global asset classes and 200 asset sectors, resulting in a portfolio diversified based on sources of risk and return. Ongoing multi-factor risk analysis is performed on the portfolio to help minimize overexposure to any specific risk, such as U.S. equity risk or interest rate risk. Our research suggests that properly diversifying a portfolio’s sources of risk and return and not simply adjusting an allocation between stocks and bonds is the key to long term portfolio outperformance.

Harry W. Markowitz, the father of “Modern Portfolio theory”, developed the mean-variance analysis, which focuses on creating portfolios of assets that minimizes the variance of returns i.e. risk, given a level of desired return, or maximizes the returns given a level of risk tolerance. This theory aids the process of portfolio construction by providing a quantitative take on it. It integrates the field of quantitative analysis with portfolio management. Mean variance analysis has found wide applications both inside and outside financial economics. However it is based on certain assumptions which do not hold good in practice. Hence there have been certain revisions to it, so as to make it a more useful tool in portfolio management.

The fifth term is risk. Risk is the uncertainty or chance of a difference in the actual return earned on investment and the expected return earned on the investment. There are three types of risk: market, credit, and operational. The company return on an investment depends on which risk the company took. For example, people and companies take risk sometimes when they make a financial investment or provide equipment and supplies for an opportunity to receive a high return on their investment. The role of finance for a risk is the uncertainty if they will receive payment for their investment. The higher the risk means the higher the return. The lower the risk means the lower the return.

Modern portfolio theory is an investment theory based on that investors can construct portfolio to maximize return which based on a given level of market risk, emphasizing that risk is an essential part of higher return. Modern portfolio theory is one of the most significant economic theory dealing with finance and investment, which was published by Harry Markowitz in his paper “Portfolio Selection” in 1952 by Journal of Finance (Shipway, 2009).

With the development of capital market, an increasing number of investors have a chance invest their money in the stock exchange. Investment return is the reason that the investors put their money in the stock market. However, when they spend their money in the market, they will come across the risk of the securities. In other words, investors receive the higher investment return which means they will come across the greater risk too. According to Reilly and Brown, risk means the uncertainty of future outcomes. For investors, higher risks might cause their lost more money. The investors have to choose the correct method of their return and risk.

b) To provide investors a framework and techniques for selecting various instruments available or a portfolio that best meets the overall objectives and constraints of an investor.