Revisiting modern portfolio theory

This paper revisits Modern Portfolio Theory and derives eleven properties of Efficient Allocations and Portfolios in the presence of leverage. With different degrees of leverage, an Efficient Portfolio is a linear combination of two portfolios that lie in different efficient frontiers - which allows for an attractive reinterpretation of the Separation Theorem. In particular a change in the investor risk-return preferences will leave the allocation between the Minimum Risk and Risk Portfolios completely unaltered - but will change the magnitudes of the tactical risk allocations within the Risk Portfolio. The paper also discusses the role of diversification in an Efficient Portfolio, emphasizing its more tactical, rather than strategic character

Overdetermination in a marxian theory of money

O presente artigo focaliza a genérica e abstrata análise monetária desenvolvida por Marx no inicio do Capital. Mais precisamente, pretende-se avaliar em que medida, se alguma, alguns aspectos da análise de Marx sobre o papel bastante contraditório desempenhado pela moeda no processo de circulação simples de mercadorias suportam uma interpretação sobre-determinista do método dialético por ele empregado. Baseando-se no conceito de sobre-determinação introduzido na literature Marxiana principalmente por Louis Althusser, o artigo conclui que o nexo real-monetário prevalecente na circulação simples de mercadorias pode ser concebida como um nexo sobre-determinado, ou seja, um nexo caracterizado por incorporar um regime de constitutividade.

Demand- side resistance to creative destruction in schumpeterian growth theory

The Schumpelerian model of endogeno~s growlh is generalized with lhe introduction of stochastic resislance. by agenls other Ihan producers. to lhe innovations which drive growth. This causes a queue to be formcd of innovations, alrcady discovered, bUI waiting to be adopled~ A slationary stochastic equilibrium (SSE) is obtained when the queue is stable~ It is shown that in the SSE, such resistance will always reduce lhe average growth iate hut it may increa~e wclfare in certain silualions. In an example, Ihis is when innovatiuns are small anti monopoly power great. The cont1icl hetween this welfare motive for resistance and those of rent-seeking innovalors.may well explain why growth rates differ.

A Common-feature approach for testing present-value restrictions with financial data

It is well known that cointegration between the level of two variables (labeled Yt and yt in this paper) is a necessary condition to assess the empirical validity of a present-value model (PV and PVM, respectively, hereafter) linking them. The work on cointegration has been so prevalent that it is often overlooked that another necessary condition for the PVM to hold is that the forecast error entailed by the model is orthogonal to the past. The basis of this result is the use of rational expectations in forecasting future values of variables in the PVM. If this condition fails, the present-value equation will not be valid, since it will contain an additional term capturing the (non-zero) conditional expected value of future error terms. Our article has a few novel contributions, but two stand out. First, in testing for PVMs, we advise to split the restrictions implied by PV relationships into orthogonality conditions (or reduced rank restrictions) before additional tests on the value of parameters. We show that PV relationships entail a weak-form common feature relationship as in Hecq, Palm, and Urbain (2006) and in Athanasopoulos, Guillén, Issler and Vahid (2011) and also a polynomial serial-correlation common feature relationship as in Cubadda and Hecq (2001), which represent restrictions on dynamic models which allow several tests for the existence of PV relationships to be used. Because these relationships occur mostly with nancial data, we propose tests based on generalized method of moment (GMM) estimates, where it is straightforward to propose robust tests in the presence of heteroskedasticity. We also propose a robust Wald test developed to investigate the presence of reduced rank models. Their performance is evaluated in a Monte-Carlo exercise. Second, in the context of asset pricing, we propose applying a permanent-transitory (PT) decomposition based on Beveridge and Nelson (1981), which focus on extracting the long-run component of asset prices, a key concept in modern nancial theory as discussed in Alvarez and Jermann (2005), Hansen and Scheinkman (2009), and Nieuwerburgh, Lustig, Verdelhan (2010). Here again we can exploit the results developed in the common cycle literature to easily extract permament and transitory components under both long and also short-run restrictions. The techniques discussed herein are applied to long span annual data on long- and short-term interest rates and on price and dividend for the U.S. economy. In both applications we do not reject the existence of a common cyclical feature vector linking these two series. Extracting the long-run component shows the usefulness of our approach and highlights the presence of asset-pricing bubbles.

Foreign direct investment spillovers in Portugal: additional lessons from a country study

This paper investigates the impact of FDI on the productivity of Portuguese manufacturing sectors. Model specification is improved by considering the choice of the most appropriate interval of the technological gap for spillovers diffusion. We also allow for sectoral variation in the coefficients of the spillover effect; idiosyncratic sectoral factors are identified by means of a fixed effects model. Inter-sectoral positive spillover effects are examined. Significant spillovers require a proper technological differential between foreign and domestic producers and favourable sectoral characteristics. They may occur in modern industries in which the foreign firms have a clear, but not too sharp, edge on the domestic ones. Agglomeration effects are also one pertinent specific influence.

Uma investigação empírica sobre a moderna teoria financeira

Some of The Modern Portfolio Theory hypotheses are tested in the Brazilian capital market. Econometric tests and a risk-return relation analysis were made over 79 Brazilian and American financial time series from January to November 1995. The main conclusion is that the series are not described according to the MPT and the Brazilian and American series have different behavior.

Responsabilidade social das empresas e valores humanos: um estudo sobre a atitude dos gestores brasileiros

In the last decades of the 21st century, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become one of the most widely debated issues in business management, concerning researchers, politicians, managers and society at large. With multilateral implications in economic and social life, CSR refers, essentially, to the discussion about the boundaries of business intervention in society and the ethical limits that should regulate that intervention. It questions the impact of business practices in social well-being, the role left for corporations and for the State in attending to community needs, and which are, at last, the responsibilities that tie enterprises to society. In this research, CSR is approached from the perspective of its ethical foundations, based on the moral reasoning of the business manager, as a key organizational leader with relevant decision power. Specifically, the research aims to understand how the personal human value system and the ethical orientation of managers influence their attitude towards CSR, considering this attitude as an indicator of managerial behavior that translates into corporate performance. Theoretically, CSR concept is discussed and presented as a set of social commitments, based on a strict interpretation of its meaning. As to human values, its philosophical roots are briefly analyzed and Schwartz modern motivational theory is addressed as main reference for studying the personal value system of managers in this research. Concerning ethics, based on classical theory from moral philosophy, references are seek in John Stuart Mill¿s utilitarianism, Immanuel Kant¿s deontological absolutism, John Rawls¿s theory of justice and the ethics of virtue inspired by Aristotle¿s moral thoughts. Based on an extended literature review, research hypothesis are proposed as part of a theoretical model of analysis named Individual Attitude Towards Social Responsibility Model. In order to test the theory¿s empirical validity, it was conducted a field study with 252 Brazilian managers, mainly from the metropolitan areas of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Results show that managerial attitude aligned with CSR principles is favored by conservative personal values, protectors of stability and centered on collective will, and by an ethical orientation based on egalitarianism as postulated by distributive justice principles. However, results also show that the influence of values and personal ethics on managerial attitude towards CSR only occur in managers younger than 30 years old. Findings and their meanings are discussed, as well as summarized in the Axiological and Ethical Determinants of Managers¿ Social Commitment Model. Finally, methodological limitations are evaluated and clues for further research are suggested.

Previdência complementar no Brasil : análise do impacto da legislação na alocação de ativos entre 2003 e 2005

This work aims to identify the impacts brought about by legislation alterations regarding assets allocation by Pension Funds Companies. Focused on that, this work carried on a detailed review on the existing literature concerning Modern Portfolio Theory, Pension Funds Investment Strategies and on Brazilian Legislation for Financial Market and Pension Funds. On a second moment, the work identified asset allocation differences when comparing national financial market players and the data released by the official Social Security Secretary - SPC - regarding the 35 Pension Funds analyzed. In accordance with what the literature indicates, the work also reveals that Pension Funds pursue asset allocation policies different than those adopted by other market players due to the Fund¿s long term investment characteristics. No major impacts were identified on the legislation issued by the National Monetary Council ¿ CMN - in what it concerns asset allocation and impacts were only identified on the legislation regarding - CPMF - taxes on financial operations - which led Pension Funds to allocate expressive part of their assets on investment funds.

Previdência complementar no Brasil : análise do impacto da legislação na alocação de ativos entre 2003 e 2005

This work aims to identify the impacts brought about by legislation alterations regarding assets allocation by Pension Funds Companies. Focused on that, this work carried on a detailed review on the existing literature concerning Modern Portfolio Theory, Pension Funds Investment Strategies and on Brazilian Legislation for Financial Market and Pension Funds. On a second moment, the work identified asset allocation differences when comparing national financial market players and the data released by the official Social Security Secretary ¿ SPC ¿ regarding the 35 Pension Funds analyzed. In accordance with what the literature indicates, the work also reveals that Pension Funds pursue asset allocation policies different than those adopted by other market players due to the Fund¿s long term investment characteristics. No major impacts were identified on the legislation issued by the National Monetary Council ¿ CMN - in what it concerns asset allocation and impacts were only identified on the legislation regarding ¿CPMF¿ ¿ taxes on financial operations ¿ which led Pension Funds to allocate expressive part of their assets on investment funds

O campo de energia elétrica no Brasil - de 1880 a 2002

Since electric power is an essential element in modern society, this paper analyzes the historic and institutional factors that have contributed to the formation and organization of the Brazilian electric sector, from the time when it started to be used in this country until the end of year 2002. This analysis is based on a linear description of historic facts, giving emphasis to crucial events ¿ or critical incidents, as they were called for the purpose of this paper. As to these happenings, the social actors who played an important role in the development of the Brazilian electric power sector were analyzed. An analytical model based on the theoretical references offered by the Institutional Theory was used. The study also highlights the elements that comprehend the development of the phenomenon in face of the ambivalence existing in a developing country, which is the case of the Brazilian electric power sector. The organizational fields that were established at the time determined by the main crucial incidents presented throughout the length of time covered by this study. The resources that the main social actors involved in the electric power sector may use by are also identified, as well as their main interests and level of influence these actors may have. Several documents were analyzed. The qualitative methodology was used. Also, many semi-structured in-depth interviews of the people who have made the history of this sector for reliability were conducted. Finally, this study includes the main elements that have shaped the institutional model of the Brazilian electric sector. It also characterizes the external environment as the element which has most influenced the sector and has also led its way throughout the different developmental phases, especially with respect to funding. The growing rates of power consumption indicate the need for a constant increase in the supply of electric power to meet the needs of society and economic development. This requires constant investment. Lack of investment is a limiting factor. Not only does it hinder the development of the country but it may also result in very unfortunate mishaps such as electric power rationing, such as the kind we had to endure a while ago.

Análise de desempenho dos fundos de investimento em ações brasileiros no período de Janeiro de 1997 a outubro de 2006

This research evaluated the quality of the management of Brazilian stock funds on the period from January 1997 to October 2006. The analysis was based on the Modern Portfolio Theory measures of performance. In addition, this research evaluated the relevance of the performance measures The sample with 21 funds was extracted from the 126 largest Brasilian stock options funds because they were the only with quotas on the whole period. The monthly mean rate of return and the following indexes were calculated: total return, mean monthly return, Jensen Index, Treynor Index, Sharpe Index, Sortino Index, Market Timing and the Mean Quadratic Error. The initial analysis showed that the funds in the sample had different objectives and limitations. To make valuable comparisons, the ANBID (National Association of Investment Banks) categories were used to classify the funds. The measured results were ranked. The positions of the funds on the rankings based on the mean monthly return and the indexes of Jensen, Treynor, Sortino and Sharpe were similar. All of the ten ACTIVE funds of this research were above the benchmark (IBOVESPA index) in the measures above. Based on the CAPM, the managers of these funds got superior performance because they might have compiled the available information in a superior way. The six funds belonging to the ANBID classification of INDEXED got the first six positions in the ranking based on the Mean Quadratic Error. None of the researched funds have shown market timing skills to move the beta of their portfolios in the right direction to take the benefit of the market movements, at the significance level of 5%.

Administração ativa de portfólio de crédito: uma revisão dos principais conceitos para uma implementação efetiva em bancos comerciais

Trata dos principais aspectos da administração ativa de portfólio de crédito a pessoa jurídica por bancos comerciais, que vem tomando o lugar do modo tradicional de administrar crédito. Inicialmente, apresenta a definição de administração ativa de portfólio de crédito, compara com a abordagem tradicional e aponta as motivações para o surgimento desta nova abordagem. Segue demonstrando as adaptações dos conceitos da Teoria Moderna de Portfólios aos portfólios de crédito e apresenta alguns modelos para a determinação de variáveis importantes para a mensuração do risco de crédito, tais como probabilidades de inadimplência, correlações entre ativos de crédito e risco de crédito de portfólio. Apresenta, ainda, o conceito de capital econômico e o Risk-Adjusted Return on Capital (RAROC) relativamente ao risco de crédito. Discute as responsabilidades e funções a serem desempenhadas pela administração ativa de portfólio de crédito e, como contribuição, apresenta, à luz das considerações deste trabalho, uma estrutura hipotética de um banco comercial que adota a administração ativa de portfólio de crédito.

Risco idiossincrático e diversificação em portfólios

A teoria tradicional de finanças indica a diversificação como uma maneira de tirar a exposição que um investidor tem ao risco específico das firmas. Ao investidor caberia a tarefa de construir um portfolio composto de N ativos tal que a parcela de risco idiossincrático tenda a zero. Os retornos desta carteira seriam advindos da remuneração pelo risco sistemático, ou de mercado. Estudos têm mostrado que o N necessário para atingir o benefício satisfatório de diversificação tem aumentado ao longo dos anos. O motivo para tal fenômeno seria a presença cada vez mais forte da parcela de risco idiossincrático, verificado empiricamente através de estudos das séries históricas dos retornos. O risco idiossincrático tem estado presente mesmo sem ter havido um crescimento no risco do mercado como um todo. O objetivo deste estudo é discorrer sobre a literatura disponível acerca do assunto, mostrando como a partir da Modern Portfolio Theory o desafio de alcançar a diversificação tem sido cada vez mais complexo, como têm sido feitas as análises da presença o risco idiossincrático e quais motivos levaram isto a acontecer.

The manufacturing industry in Brazil in the era of global value chains

This article presents a comprehensive and detailed overview of the international trade performance of the manufacturing industry in Brazil over the last decades, emphasizing its participation in Global Value Chains. It uses information from recent available global inputoutput tables such as WIOD (World Input-output database) and TIVA (Trade in Value Added, OECD) as well as complementary information from the GTAP 8 (Global Trade Analysis Project) database. The calculation of a broad set of value added type indicators allows a precise contextualization of the ongoing structural changes in the Brazilian industry, highlighting the relative isolation of its manufacturing sector from the most relevant international supply chains. This article also proposes a public policy discussion, presenting two case studies: the first one related to trade facilitation and the second one to preferential trade agreements. The main conclusions are twofold: first, the reduction of time delays at customs in Brazil may significantly improve the trade performance of its manufacturing industry, specially for the more capital intensive sectors which are generally the ones with greater potential to connection to global value chains; second, the extension of the concept of a “preferential trade partner” to the context of the global unbundling of production may pave the way to future trade policy in Brazil, particularly in the mapping of those partners whose bilateral trade relations with Brazil should receive greater priority by policy makers.

Fundo de investimento imobiliário: metodologia para subsidiar o investidor a formar uma carteira eficiente

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo subsidiar o investidor de Fundos de Investimento Imobiliário na escolha de uma carteira de aplicação de FIIs, visando obter performance igual ou superior ao índice de referência do setor (IFIX). Tal subsídio é constituído, inicialmente, por uma metodologia que considera que o conceito de Carteira Eficiente (Risco/Retorno) preconizada por Markowitz pode trabalhar em conjunto com a dimensão do conceito das Finanças Comportamentais, liderada por Daniel Kahneman, constituindo as bases de orientação do investidor. Acrescentamos o caminho metodológico com as indicações, sugeridas por Bazerman e Moore, no processo de tomada de decisão, que reduza os efeitos de heurísticas e vieses.