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Portfolios of Agricultural Market Advisory Services: How Much Diversification Is Enough?

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  • Cabrini, Silvina M.
  • Stark, Brian G.
  • Irwin, Scott H.
  • Good, Darrel L.
  • Martines-Filho, Joao

Abstract

This study analyzes the potential risk-reduction gains from naive diversification among market advisory services for corn and soybeans. The total possible decrease in risk through naive diversification is small, mainly because advisory prices are highly correlated on average. Moreover, because marginal risk-reduction benefits decrease rapidly with size and the cost of holding the portfolios increases linearly due to services' subscription fees, it is optimal to limit portfolio size to a few advisory programs. Based on certainty equivalent measures and two representative risk-aversion levels, preferred portfolio sizes are between one and three programs.

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  • Cabrini, Silvina M. & Stark, Brian G. & Irwin, Scott H. & Good, Darrel L. & Martines-Filho, Joao, 2005. "Portfolios of Agricultural Market Advisory Services: How Much Diversification Is Enough?," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 37(1), pages 101-114, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:jagaec:v:37:y:2005:i:01:p:101-114_00
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    15. Webber, Rick L. & Irwin, Scott H. & Good, Darrel L. & Martines-Filho, Joao Gomes, 2003. "Evaluation Of Market Advisory Service Performance In Hogs," 2003 Conference, April 21-22, 2003, St. Louis, Missouri 18980, NCR-134 Conference on Applied Commodity Price Analysis, Forecasting, and Market Risk Management.
    16. Isengildina, Olga & Pennings, Joost M.E. & Irwin, Scott H. & Good, Darrel L., 2004. "Crop Farmers’ Use of Market Advisory Services," AgMAS Project Research Reports 37489, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Irwin, Scott H. & Good, Darrel L. & Martines-Filho, Joao Gomes & Batts, Ryan M., 2006. "The Pricing Performance of Market Advisory Services in Corn and Soybeans Over 1995-2004," AgMAS Project Research Reports 37513, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.
    2. Batts, Ryan M. & Irwin, Scott & Good, Darrel, 2009. "The Pricing Performance of Market Advisory Services in Wheat Over 1995-2004," AgMAS Project Research Reports 183426, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.
    3. Irwin, Scott H. & Martines-Filho, Joao Gomes & Good, Darrel L., 2003. "The Pricing Performance of Market Advisory Services in Corn and Soybeans Over 1995-2001," AgMAS Project Research Reports 37510, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.
    4. Good, Darrel L. & Irwin, Scott H. & Martines-Filho, Joao Gomes & Hagedorn, Lewis A., 2005. "The Pricing Performance of Market Advisory Services in Corn and Soybeans over 1995-2003," AgMAS Project Research Reports 14775, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q14 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Finance

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