We introduce a flexible utility-based empirical approach to directly determine asset allocation decisions between risky and risk-free assets. This is in contrast to the commonly used two-step approach where least squares optimal statistical equity premium predictions are first constructed to...

We obtain new methodological and empirical perspectives on the fundamental risk-return tradeoff in stock returns by imposing economic and asset pricing motivated constraints on the equity premium. In contrast to highly ambiguous past empirical findings, these constraints result in a nonlinear...