We examine the impact of adding a Value-at-Risk (VaR) constraint to the problem of an active manager who seeks to outperform a benchmark while minimizing tracking error variance (TEV) by using the model of Roll (1992). We obtain three main results. First, portfolios on the constrained mean-TEV...

We examine the impact of adding either a VaR or a CVaR constraint to the mean-variance model when security returns are assumed to have a discrete distribution with finitely many jump points. Three main results are obtained. First, portfolios on the VaR-constrained boundary exhibit (K 2)-fund...

We examine the economic implications arising from a bank using a VaR-constrained mean-variance model for the selection of its trading portfolio as a consequence of the Basle Capital Accord. Surprisingly, we show that when a VaR constraint is imposed, it is plausible that certain banks will end...

When identifying optimal portfolios, practitioners often impose a drawdown constraint. This constraint is even explicit in some money management contracts such as the one recently involving Merrill Lynch' management of Unilever's pension fund. In this setting, we provide a characterization of...

We relate Value at Risk (VaR) to mean-variance analysis and examine the economic implications of using a mean-VaR model for portfolio selection. When comparing two mean-variance efficient portfolios, the higher variance portfolio might have less VaR. Consequently, an efficient portfolio that...

This paper examines the trading volume of a sample of high-yield corporate bonds reported on Nasdaq's Fixed Income Pricing System (FIPS). This analysis of volume allows us to better understand the liquidity of debt issues. We demonstrate that the quot;mandatoryquot; FIPS issues trade fairly...

Developed here is a value at risk-based measure of portfolio performance called the reward-to-VaR ratio. It is demonstrated that, under normality, the reward-to-VaR ratio gives the same ranking for portfolio performance as the frequently used Sharpe ratio. Under non-normality, the reward-to-VaR...

The U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission is committed to having exchanges fully implement decimal pricing by April 9, 2001, and is also considering revising the Uptick Rule. We consider the likely impact of the pending smaller tick size associated with decimalization on the efficacy of this...

quot;Zero-investmentquot; strategies typically involve forming a long portfolio in one of a set of securities and a short portfolio in another, with the two identified by the use of some trading rule. When back-testing such strategies, the ex post difference in their abnormal returns represents...

We examine the impact of Rule 10a-1, the Uptick Rule, on short-sell orders sent to the NYSE. The principal finding is that the execution quality of short-sell orders is adversely affected by the Uptick Rule, even when stocks are trading in advancing markets. This is inconsistent with one of the...