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Geographic versus industry diversification: Constraints matter

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  • Ehling, Paul
  • Ramos, Sofia B.

Abstract

This research addresses whether geographic diversification provides benefits over industry diversification. In the absence of constraints, no empirical evidence is found to support the argument that country diversification is superior. With short-selling constraints, however, the geographic tangency portfolio is not attainable by industry portfolios. Results with upper and lower constraints on portfolio weights as well as an out-of-sample analysis show that geographic diversification almost consistently outperforms industry portfolios, although we cannot establish statistical significance. JEL Classification: G11, G15
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  • Ehling, Paul & Ramos, Sofia B., 2006. "Geographic versus industry diversification: Constraints matter," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(4-5), pages 396-416, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:empfin:v:13:y:2006:i:4-5:p:396-416
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    4. Larsen, Ryan A. & Mjelde, James W. & Klinefelter, Danny A. & Wolfley, Jared L., 2009. "Geographical Diversification in Agriculture: An Applied Case to Western U.S. Wheat Growers," 2009 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, 2009, Atlanta, Georgia 46819, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
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    7. José G. Dias & Sofia B. Ramos, 2015. "An Analysis of Industry Regimes Synchronization in the Eurozone," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 255-273, March.
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    10. Marie Brière & Bastien Drut & Valérie Mignon & Kim Oosterlinck & Ariane Szafarz, 2013. "Is the Market Portfolio Efficient? A New Test of Mean-Variance Efficiency when all Assets are Risky," Finance, Presses universitaires de Grenoble, vol. 34(1), pages 7-41.
    11. Umutlu, Mehmet & Yargı, Seher Gören & Zaremba, Adam, 2023. "Market segmentation and international diversification across country and industry portfolios," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    12. Eiling, Esther & Gerard, Bruno & Hillion, Pierre & de Roon, Frans A., 2012. "International portfolio diversification: Currency, industry and country effects revisited," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 1249-1278.
    13. Jonathan Fletcher & Elizabeth Littlejohn & Andrew Marshall, 2023. "Exploring the performance of US international bond mutual funds," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 58(4), pages 765-782, November.
    14. Hakim, Idwan & Masih, Mansur, 2014. "Portfolio diversification strategy for Malaysia: International and sectoral perspectives," MPRA Paper 58909, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Larsen, Ryan A. & Vedenov, Dmitry V. & Leatham, David J., 2009. "Enterprise-level risk assessment of geographically diversified commercial farms: a copula approach," 2009 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, 2009, Atlanta, Georgia 46763, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    16. De Moor, Lieven & Sercu, Piet, 2011. "Country versus sector factors in equity returns: The roles of non-unit exposures," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 64-77, January.
    17. Larsen, Ryan A. & Leatham, David J. & Mjelde, James W. & Wolfley, Jared L., 2008. "Geographical Diversification: An Application of Copula Based CVaR," 2008 Agricultural and Rural Finance Markets in Transition, September 25-26, 2008, Kansas City, Missouri 119533, Regional Research Committee NC-1014: Agricultural and Rural Finance Markets in Transition.
    18. Jonathan Fletcher, 2017. "An Empirical Examination of the Incremental Contribution of Stock Characteristics in UK Stock Returns," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-19, October.
    19. Fletcher, Jonathan, 2018. "An empirical examination of the diversification benefits of U.K. international equity closed-end funds," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 23-34.
    20. Fedenia, Mark & Shafer, Sherrill & Skiba, Hilla, 2013. "Information immobility, industry concentration, and institutional investors’ performance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 2140-2159.
    21. Marie Brière & Bastien Drut & Valérie Mignon & Kim Oosterlinck & Ariane Szafarz, 2011. "Is the Market Portfolio Efficient? A New Test to Revisit the Roll (1977) versus Levy and Roll (2010) Controversy," EconomiX Working Papers 2011-20, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    22. Marie Brière & Ariane Szafarz, 2021. "When it rains, it pours: Multifactor asset management in good and bad times," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 44(3), pages 641-669, September.
    23. Łukasz Dopierała & Magdalena Mosionek-Schweda & Daria Ilczuk, 2020. "Does the Asset Allocation Policy Affect the Performance of Climate-Themed Funds? Empirical Evidence from the Scandinavian Mutual Funds Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-23, January.
    24. Marie Briere & Ariane Szafarz, 2018. "Factors and Sectors in Asset Allocation: Stronger Together?," Working Papers CEB 18-016, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    25. Mark Fedenia & Sherrill Shaffer & Hilla Skiba, 2012. "Information immobility, industry concentration, and institutional investors' performance," CAMA Working Papers 2012-24, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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