Portfolio theory lecture notes

Jamal Munshi, 1992

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Returns generating assets a1, a2, a3, .... are projected to yield uncertain
returns y1, y2, y3, ..... the uncertainty in returns is modeled with a
gaussian distribution with expected value = k1, k2, k3, .... and standard
deviation = s1, s2, s3, ...
The question

If we combine assets a1, a2, a3, ... with relative dollar amounts invested in
each asset given by the weight vector w1, w2, w3, ...and form a portfolio p
then what will the returns distribution of p look like? i.e., what are values
of kp and sp?

Computation of kp and sp

kp will be simply the average of the ki

kp = sum(wi*ki)
spp = sumi(sumj(wi*wj*sij))
sp=sqrt(sumi(sumj(wi*wj*sij)))

Here spp is the variance of portfolio returns and sp is the standard

deviation. sij is the covariance between a1 and aj returns. when i=j then
the term reduces to sii, the variance of asset i returns.

Plots of kp, sp against wi

If we form many portfolios by changing the w vector and plot kp and sp

against w then what will these plots look like?. For kp the answer is easy.
Note that the expression for kp is linear in w. so the plot will be LINEAR.
It will be a straignt line.
But what about sp?

This expression is not linear but quadratic. To see what these curves will
look like let us first define

rij=sij/(si*sj)
where rij is the correlation coefficient between ai returns and aj returns
and rewrite the spp equation as

spp = sumi(sumj(wi*wj*s1*sj*rij))
for two assets 1 and 2 this equation simplifies to
spp = w1*w1*s11 + w2*w2*s22 + 2*w1*w2*s1*s2*r12
Consider the following cases for the two asset equation

• when the correlation coefficient is -1

o we get spp = spp = w1*w1*s11 + w2*w2*s22 - 2*w1*w2*s1*s2
o which can be written as spp = (s1w1-s2w2)(s1w2-s2w2).
o which means that sp = sqrt(spp) = s1w1-s2w2.
o he relationship between sp and w1 is LINEAR.

• when the correlation coefficient is +1

o we get spp = spp = w1*w1*s11 + w2*w2*s22 + 2*w1*w2*s1*s2
o which can be written as spp = (s1w1+s2w2)(s1w2+s2w2).
o which means that sp = sqrt(spp) = s1w1+s2w2.
o he relationship between sp and w1 is LINEAR.

• when the correlation coefficient is between -1 and +1 the

relationship between sp and w1 is sp = sqrt(w1*w1*s11 + w2*w2*s22
- 2*w1*w2*s1*s2) which is quadratic or CURVED
• this curvature is the key to understanding portolio theory.

when one of the assets is riskless

• set s22 to zero and s2 to zero and get

• sp = sqrt(w1*w1*s11) and taking the square root we find that
• sp = w1s1
• LINEAR

• the curve represents portfolios formed from risky assets with

imprefect rij
• the line represents portfolios formed with one of the risky
portolios and a riskless asset
• this line dominates all other lines that could be drawn
• this line is the basis of the capital asset pricing model

These curve shapes will not change when the number of assets in the
portfolio is increased.