IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v62y2024ipbs154461232400237x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does constant asset allocation dominate buy-and-hold?

Author

Listed:
  • Levy, Moshe

Abstract

There is a widespread perception that it is optimal to keep portfolio weights constant over time, and that the optimal rebalancing frequency is just a question of the transaction cost. This is not generally true. We show that buy-and-hold is not stochastically dominated by any constant allocation strategy. Thus, there are some risk averters, including those requiring a minimal subsistence level, who are better-off with a buy-and-hold strategy when returns are i.i.d, even when rebalancing is free. Perhaps surprisingly, the longer the investment horizon, the larger the set of investors who prefer buy-and-hold over constant allocation.

Suggested Citation

  • Levy, Moshe, 2024. "Does constant asset allocation dominate buy-and-hold?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PB).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:62:y:2024:i:pb:s154461232400237x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2024.105207
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S154461232400237X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2024.105207?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. Fishburn, Peter C., 1974. "Convex stochastic dominance with continuous distribution functions," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 143-158, February.
    2. Haim Levy, 2016. "Stochastic Dominance," Springer Books, Springer, edition 3, number 978-3-319-21708-6, December.
    3. Laurent E. Calvet & John Y. Campbell & Paolo Sodini, 2009. "Fight or Flight? Portfolio Rebalancing by Individual Investors," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(1), pages 301-348.
    4. Larry Y. Tzeng & Rachel J. Huang & Pai-Ta Shih, 2013. "Revisiting Almost Second-Degree Stochastic Dominance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(5), pages 1250-1254, May.
    5. G. Hanoch & H. Levy, 1969. "The Efficiency Analysis of Choices Involving Risk," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 36(3), pages 335-346.
    6. Levy, Moshe, 2009. "Almost Stochastic Dominance and stocks for the long run," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 194(1), pages 250-257, April.
    7. Hayne E. Leland, 1996. "Optimal Asset Rebalancing in the Presence of Transactions Costs," Finance 9610004, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 29 Oct 1996.
    8. Hadar, Josef & Russell, William R, 1969. "Rules for Ordering Uncertain Prospects," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 59(1), pages 25-34, March.
    9. Lizyayev, Andrey & Ruszczyński, Andrzej, 2012. "Tractable Almost Stochastic Dominance," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 218(2), pages 448-455.
    10. Levy, Haim & Levy, Moshe, 2021. "The cost of diversification over time, and a simple way to improve target-date funds," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    11. Yu, Jing-Rung & Lee, Wen-Yi, 2011. "Portfolio rebalancing model using multiple criteria," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 209(2), pages 166-175, March.
    12. Fang, Yong & Lai, K.K. & Wang, Shou-Yang, 2006. "Portfolio rebalancing model with transaction costs based on fuzzy decision theory," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 175(2), pages 879-893, December.
    13. Haim Levy, 1992. "Stochastic Dominance and Expected Utility: Survey and Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(4), pages 555-593, April.
    14. Scott Willenbrock, 2011. "Diversification Return, Portfolio Rebalancing, and the Commodity Return Puzzle," Papers 1109.1256, arXiv.org.
    15. Ilia Tsetlin & Robert L. Winkler & Rachel J. Huang & Larry Y. Tzeng, 2015. "Generalized Almost Stochastic Dominance," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 63(2), pages 363-377, April.
    16. Merton, Robert C, 1969. "Lifetime Portfolio Selection under Uncertainty: The Continuous-Time Case," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 51(3), pages 247-257, August.
    17. Bali, Turan G. & Demirtas, K. Ozgur & Levy, Haim & Wolf, Avner, 2009. "Bonds versus stocks: Investors' age and risk taking," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(6), pages 817-830, September.
    18. MOSSIN, Jan, 1968. "Optimal multiperiod portfolio policies," LIDAM Reprints CORE 19, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    19. Jimmy E. Hilliard & Jitka Hilliard, 2018. "Rebalancing versus buy and hold: theory, simulation and empirical analysis," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 1-32, January.
    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. Guo, Xu & Zhu, Xuehu & Wong, Wing-Keung & Zhu, Lixing, 2013. "A note on almost stochastic dominance," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 121(2), pages 252-256.
    2. Guo, Xu & Wong, Wing-Keung & Zhu, Lixing, 2013. "Almost Stochastic Dominance and Moments," MPRA Paper 49205, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Xu, Guo & Wing-Keung, Wong & Lixing, Zhu, 2013. "Almost Stochastic Dominance for Risk-Averse and Risk-Seeking Investors," MPRA Paper 51744, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Hermann Jahnke & Jan Thomas Martini & Tobias Wiens, 2019. "Price limits under incomplete preference information based on almost stochastic dominance," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(1), pages 241-269, April.
    5. Guo, Xu & Wong, Wing-Keung & Zhu, Lixing, 2013. "Make Almost Stochastic Dominance really Almost," MPRA Paper 49745, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Kallio, Markku & Dehghan Hardoroudi, Nasim, 2018. "Second-order stochastic dominance constrained portfolio optimization: Theory and computational tests," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 264(2), pages 675-685.
    7. Levy, Haim & Levy, Moshe, 2021. "Stocks versus bonds for the long run when a riskless asset is available," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    8. Liqun Liu & Jack Meyer, 2021. "Stochastic superiority," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 225-246, June.
    9. Lee, Yung-Tsung & Kung, Ko-Lun & Liu, I-Chien, 2018. "Profitability and risk profile of reverse mortgages: A cross-system and cross-plan comparison," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 255-266.
    10. Yi-Chieh Huang & Kamhon Kan & Larry Y. Tzeng & Kili C. Wang, 2021. "Estimating the Critical Parameter in Almost Stochastic Dominance from Insurance Deductibles," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(8), pages 4742-4755, August.
    11. Post, Thierry & Kopa, Miloš, 2013. "General linear formulations of stochastic dominance criteria," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 230(2), pages 321-332.
    12. Jow-Ran Chang & Wei-Han Liu & Mao-Wei Hung, 2019. "Revisiting generalized almost stochastic dominance," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 281(1), pages 175-192, October.
    13. Christodoulakis, George & Mohamed, Abdulkadir & Topaloglou, Nikolas, 2018. "Optimal privatization portfolios in the presence of arbitrary risk aversion," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 265(3), pages 1172-1191.
    14. Fang, Yi & Post, Thierry, 2017. "Higher-degree stochastic dominance optimality and efficiency," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 261(3), pages 984-993.
    15. Chia-Lin Chang & Michael McAleer & Wing-Keung Wong, 2018. "Big Data, Computational Science, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Management, and Psychology: Connections," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-29, March.
    16. Guo, Xu & Wong, Wing-Keung & Zhu, Lixing, 2016. "Almost stochastic dominance for risk averters and risk seeker," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 15-21.
    17. Michel Denuit & Rachel Huang & Larry Tzeng, 2014. "Bivariate almost stochastic dominance," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 57(2), pages 377-405, October.
    18. Bruni, Renato & Cesarone, Francesco & Scozzari, Andrea & Tardella, Fabio, 2017. "On exact and approximate stochastic dominance strategies for portfolio selection," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(1), pages 322-329.
    19. Jia Liu & Zhiping Chen & Giorgio Consigli, 2021. "Interval-based stochastic dominance: theoretical framework and application to portfolio choices," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 307(1), pages 329-361, December.
    20. Hardaker, J. Brian & Lien, Gudbrand D., 2003. "Stochastic Efficiency Analysis With Risk Aversion Bounds: A Simplified Approach," Working Papers 12954, University of New England, School of Economics.

    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:finlet:v:62:y:2024:i:pb:s154461232400237x. 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/frl .

    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.