We analyze the Merton portfolio optimization problem when the growth rate is an unobserved Gaussian process whose level is estimated by filtering from observations of the stock price. We use the Kalman filter to track the hidden state(s) of expected returns given the history of asset prices, and...

We consider a class of dynamic portfolio optimization problems that allow for models of return predictability, transaction costs, and stochastic volatility. Determining the dynamic optimal portfolio in this general setting is almost always intractable. We propose a multiscale asymptotic...

We study the finite horizon Merton portfolio optimization problem in a general local-stochastic volatility setting. Using model coefficient expansion techniques, we derive approximations for the both the value function and the optimal investment strategy. We also analyze the 'implied Sharpe...

We consider an investor who seeks to maximize her expected utility derived from her terminal wealth relative to the maximum performance achieved over a fixed time horizon, and under a portfolio drawdown constraint, in a market with local stochastic volatility (LSV). In the absence of closed-form...

This supplemental appendix accompanies "Optimal Investment with Transaction Costs and Stochastic Volatility Part II: Finite Horizon" by the same authors, available at:"http://ssrn.com/abstract=2659918" http://ssrn.com/abstract=2659918. In this appendix we prove the verification theorem that the...

We analyze an environment where the uncertainty in the equity market return and its volatility are both stochastic, and may be potentially disconnected. We solve a representative investor's optimal asset allocation and derive the resulting conditional equity premium and risk-free rate in...