Assuming the loss aversion framework of Tversky and Kahneman (1992), stochastic investment and labour income processes, and a path-dependent fund target, we show that the optimal investment strategy for defined contribution pension plan members is a target-driven ‘threshold' strategy, whereby...

This paper studies the investment returns and asset allocation policies of college and university endowments who share annual performance and asset allocation data with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) annual endowment study. In this paper, we review...

The purpose of this study is to present a tool to categorize companies as potentially profitable on the basis of an analysis of their intangibles. The paper distinguishes two crucial attributes for picking shares: intangibles and the capitalization of intangible-based growth potential in market...

This paper investigates the institutional investor allocations to real assets, private equity and hedge funds. Institutional investors delegate 85 percent of the asset management of their alternative investments to external managers and fund-of-funds. Institutions relying on these financial...

We examine the relative weights hedge fund investors attach to past information in the fund selection process. The weighting scheme appears inconsistent with the one of econometric forecast models that predict fund returns, alphas or Sharpe ratios. In particular, investor flows are highly...

We shed new light on the role of commodities in asset allocation for investors with and without liabilities who (a) believe that asset returns are time varying and predictable (b) have short and long term horizons and (c) have access, in addition to a standard passive commodity portfolio, to...

An investment portfolio's return variance is the sum of variance generated by passive systematic risk factor exposure, active security selection and active systematic risk factor timing. We show that the components of active risk can be estimated without knowledge of portfolio holdings. In a...

We theoretically investigate the effect of public information — such as credit ratings and securities analysts' reports — on investor welfare in the context of delegated asset management. Specifically, we ask: does more precise public information increase investor welfare by decreasing an...

Hedge fund managers are subject to several non-linear incentives: (a) performance fee options (call); (b) equity investor's redemption options (put); (c) prime broker contracts allowing for forced deleverage (put). The interaction of these option-like incentives affects optimal leverage ex-ante,...

The paper investigates the importance of inflation-linked annuities to individuals facing inflation risk. Given the investment opportunities in nominal, real, and variable annuities, as well as cash and stocks, we investigate the consumption and investment decisions under two different objective...