IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecofin/v54y2020ics1062940820301509.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ambiguity aversion for risk choice

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Yuli
  • Niu, Yingjie

Abstract

This paper extends the model of the portfolio choice of hedge fund managers compensated by high-water mark contracts by incorporating three types of ambiguity aversion. Each setting is motivated by a different robust control optimization problem. The first setting illustrates that optimal portfolios are negatively affected by ambiguity aversion parameter as well as the volatility of risky assets. On the contrary, the second (κ-ignorance) and third methodology (constrained ambiguity) outline distinctive results. Under these two settings, the manager allocates more wealth to risky assets on the condition that ambiguity aversion rises. As for regular risk measured by volatility, we show that the critical value of investment strategy exhibits a U-shaped pattern against the volatility of risky assets. This is due to the game between risk attitude and market price of risk in effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Yuli & Niu, Yingjie, 2020. "Ambiguity aversion for risk choice," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecofin:v:54:y:2020:i:c:s1062940820301509
    DOI: 10.1016/j.najef.2020.101253
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1062940820301509
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.najef.2020.101253?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lars Peter Hansen & Thomas J Sargent, 2014. "Robust Control and Model Uncertainty," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: UNCERTAINTY WITHIN ECONOMIC MODELS, chapter 5, pages 145-154, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. Nishimura, Kiyohiko G. & Ozaki, Hiroyuki, 2007. "Irreversible investment and Knightian uncertainty," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 668-694, September.
    3. Jianjun Miao & Alejandro Rivera, 2016. "Robust Contracts in Continuous Time," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 84, pages 1405-1440, July.
    4. Zengjing Chen & Larry Epstein, 2002. "Ambiguity, Risk, and Asset Returns in Continuous Time," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 70(4), pages 1403-1443, July.
    5. Lars Peter Hansen & Thomas J Sargent, 2014. "Robust Control and Model Misspecification," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: UNCERTAINTY WITHIN ECONOMIC MODELS, chapter 6, pages 155-216, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    6. Fabio Trojani & Paolo Vanini, 2004. "Robustness and Ambiguity Aversion in General Equilibrium," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 8(2), pages 279-324.
    7. William N. Goetzmann & Jonathan E. Ingersoll & Stephen A. Ross, 2003. "High‐Water Marks and Hedge Fund Management Contracts," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(4), pages 1685-1718, August.
    8. Lars Peter Hansen & Thomas J Sargent, 2014. "Robust Permanent Income and Pricing," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: UNCERTAINTY WITHIN ECONOMIC MODELS, chapter 3, pages 33-81, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    9. Gilboa, Itzhak & Schmeidler, David, 1989. "Maxmin expected utility with non-unique prior," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 141-153, April.
    10. Itamar Drechsler, 2014. "Risk Choice under High-Water Marks," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(7), pages 2052-2096.
    11. Daniel Ellsberg, 1961. "Risk, Ambiguity, and the Savage Axioms," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 75(4), pages 643-669.
    12. Trojani, Fabio & Vanini, Paolo, 2002. "A note on robustness in Merton's model of intertemporal consumption and portfolio choice," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 423-435, March.
    13. Pascal J. Maenhout, 2004. "Robust Portfolio Rules and Asset Pricing," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 17(4), pages 951-983.
    14. Lars Peter Hansen & Thomas J Sargent, 2014. "A Quartet of Semigroups for Model Specification, Robustness, Prices of Risk, and Model Detection," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: UNCERTAINTY WITHIN ECONOMIC MODELS, chapter 4, pages 83-143, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    15. Lan, Yingcong & Wang, Neng & Yang, Jinqiang, 2013. "The economics of hedge funds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(2), pages 300-323.
    16. Yingjie Niu & Jinqiang Yang & Zhentao Zou, 2019. "Dynamic Agency and Investment Theory under Model Uncertainty," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 19(2), pages 447-458, June.
    17. Stavros Panageas & Mark M. Westerfield, 2009. "High‐Water Marks: High Risk Appetites? Convex Compensation, Long Horizons, and Portfolio Choice," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(1), pages 1-36, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Agarwal, Vikas & Arisoy, Y. Eser & Naik, Narayan Y., 2017. "Volatility of aggregate volatility and hedge fund returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(3), pages 491-510.
    2. Luo, Deqing & Wu, Xiaoping & Xu, Jiawen & Yan, Jingzhou, 2022. "Robust leverage decision under locked wealth and high-water mark contract," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    3. Massimo Guidolin & Francesca Rinaldi, 2013. "Ambiguity in asset pricing and portfolio choice: a review of the literature," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 74(2), pages 183-217, February.
    4. Aït-Sahalia, Yacine & Matthys, Felix, 2019. "Robust consumption and portfolio policies when asset prices can jump," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 1-56.
    5. Shuang Li & Haijun Wang, 2023. "Robust irreversible investment strategy with ambiguity to jump and diffusion risk," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 23(3), pages 645-665, September.
    6. Wu, Yaoyao & Yang, Jinqiang & Zou, Zhentao, 2017. "Dynamic corporate investment and liquidity management under model uncertainty," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 9-13.
    7. Wu, Wei & Niu, Yingjie & Wu, Yaoyao & Xu, Hongru, 2022. "Ambiguity, limited commitment, and the q theory of investment," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    8. Hu, Duni & Wang, Hailong, 2019. "Reinsurance contract design when the insurer is ambiguity-averse," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 241-255.
    9. Wei, Pengyu & Yang, Charles & Zhuang, Yi, 2023. "Robust consumption and portfolio choice with derivatives trading," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 304(2), pages 832-850.
    10. Ma, Jinrun & Wu, Yaoyao & Liang, Yongtang, 2023. "Robust investment and hedging policy with limited commitment," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    11. So, Leh-chyan, 2013. "Are Real Options “Real”? Isolating Uncertainty from Risk in Real Options Analysis," MPRA Paper 52493, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Flor, Christian Riis & Hesel, Søren, 2015. "Uncertain dynamics, correlation effects, and robust investment decisions," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 278-298.
    13. Yaoyao Wu & Jinqiang Yang & Zhentao Zou, 2018. "Ambiguity sharing and the lack of relative performance evaluation," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 66(1), pages 141-157, July.
    14. Yan, Jingzhou & Mu, Congming & Yan, Qianhui & Luo, Deqing, 2023. "Robust leverage choice of hedge funds with rare disasters," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    15. Li, Jing, 2018. "Essays on model uncertainty in financial models," Other publications TiSEM 202cd910-7ef1-4db4-94ae-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    16. Hansen, Lars Peter & Sargent, Thomas J., 2022. "Structured ambiguity and model misspecification," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    17. Maillet, Bertrand & Tokpavi, Sessi & Vaucher, Benoit, 2015. "Global minimum variance portfolio optimisation under some model risk: A robust regression-based approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 244(1), pages 289-299.
    18. Isaac Kleshchelski & Nicolas Vincent, 2007. "Robust Equilibrium Yield Curves," Cahiers de recherche 08-02, HEC Montréal, Institut d'économie appliquée.
    19. Len Patrick Dominic M. Garces & Yang Shen, 2024. "Robust optimal investment and consumption strategies with portfolio constraints and stochastic environment," Papers 2407.02831, arXiv.org.
    20. Nengjiu Ju & Jianjun Miao, 2012. "Ambiguity, Learning, and Asset Returns," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 80(2), pages 559-591, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ambiguity aversion; Risk; High-water mark; Portfolio choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecofin:v:54:y:2020:i:c:s1062940820301509. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620163 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.