Mean-Variance Portfolio Allocation with a Value at Risk Constraint

• Enrique Sentana ^[1]
  1. [1] Centro de Estudios Monetarios y Financieros

     Centro de Estudios Monetarios y Financieros

     Madrid, España

     
• Localización: Documentos de Trabajo ( CEMFI ), Nº. 5 (Working Paper No. 0105, June 2001), 2001
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • In this paper, I first provide a unifying approach to Mean-Variance analysis and Value at Risk, which highlights their similarities and differences. Then I use it to explain how fund managers can take investment decisions within the well-known Mean-Variance allocation framework that satisfy the VaR restrictions imposed on them by regulators. I do so by introducing a new type of line to the usual mean - standard deviation diagram, called IsoVaR, which represents all the portfolios that share the same VaR for a fixed probability level. Finally, I analyse the "shadow cost" of a VaR constraint.