IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reveco/v57y2018icp258-273.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Hedge fund leverage with stochastic market conditions

Author

Listed:
  • Zhao, Li
  • Huang, Wenli
  • Yang, Chen
  • Li, Shenghong

Abstract

Hedge funds face stochastic market conditions. We develop a dynamic framework to analyze hedge fund optimal leverage choice, in which the extra return and volatility of the alpha-generating strategy shift between good and bad states at random times. We find that the optimal leverage, the manager's risk attitude and her compensation in each state reflect the possibility for state shifts, in contrast to the results of the one-state model. The manager always intends to increase leverage when the probability of a coming crisis is higher; however, the leverage is significantly reduced when the crisis arrives.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhao, Li & Huang, Wenli & Yang, Chen & Li, Shenghong, 2018. "Hedge fund leverage with stochastic market conditions," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 258-273.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:57:y:2018:i:c:p:258-273
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2018.01.012
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1059056018300558
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iref.2018.01.012?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. Christian-Oliver Ewald & Zhaojun Yang, 2008. "Utility based pricing and exercising of real options under geometric mean reversion and risk aversion toward idiosyncratic risk," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 68(1), pages 97-123, August.
    2. Paolo Guasoni & Gu Wang, 2015. "Hedge and mutual funds’ fees and the separation of private investments," Finance and Stochastics, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 473-507, July.
    3. Hodder, James E. & Jackwerth, Jens Carsten, 2007. "Incentive Contracts and Hedge Fund Management," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 42(4), pages 811-826, December.
    4. Hackbarth, Dirk & Miao, Jianjun & Morellec, Erwan, 2006. "Capital structure, credit risk, and macroeconomic conditions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(3), pages 519-550, December.
    5. Markus K. Brunnermeier & Lasse Heje Pedersen, 2009. "Market Liquidity and Funding Liquidity," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(6), pages 2201-2238, June.
    6. John Geanakoplos & Ana Fostel, 2008. "Leverage Cycles and the Anxious Economy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(4), pages 1211-1244, September.
    7. Ang, Andrew & Gorovyy, Sergiy & van Inwegen, Gregory B., 2011. "Hedge fund leverage," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(1), pages 102-126, October.
    8. Sid Browne, 2000. "Risk-Constrained Dynamic Active Portfolio Management," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(9), pages 1188-1199, September.
    9. Bolton, Patrick & Chen, Hui & Wang, Neng, 2013. "Market timing, investment, and risk management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(1), pages 40-62.
    10. Jakub W. Jurek & Erik Stafford, 2015. "The Cost of Capital for Alternative Investments," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(5), pages 2185-2226, October.
    11. Lan, Yingcong & Wang, Neng & Yang, Jinqiang, 2013. "The economics of hedge funds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(2), pages 300-323.
    12. Guo, Xin & Miao, Jianjun & Morellec, Erwan, 2005. "Irreversible investment with regime shifts," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 122(1), pages 37-59, May.
    13. Tobias Adrian & Hyun Song Shin, 2009. "Money, Liquidity, and Monetary Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(2), pages 600-605, May.
    14. Kadan, Ohad & Liu, Fang, 2014. "Performance evaluation with high moments and disaster risk," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(1), pages 131-155.
    15. 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.
    16. René M. Stulz, 2007. "Hedge Funds: Past, Present, and Future," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 21(2), pages 175-194, Spring.
    17. Getmansky, Mila & Lo, Andrew W. & Makarov, Igor, 2004. "An econometric model of serial correlation and illiquidity in hedge fund returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(3), pages 529-609, December.
    18. Andrea Buraschi & Robert Kosowski & Worrawat Sritrakul, 2014. "Incentives and Endogenous Risk Taking: A Structural View on Hedge Fund Alphas," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(6), pages 2819-2870, December.
    19. Yang, Zhaojun & Zhang, Chunhong, 2015. "Two new equity default swaps with idiosyncratic risk," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 254-273.
    20. Billio, Monica & Getmansky, Mila & Pelizzon, Loriana, 2012. "Dynamic risk exposures in hedge funds," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 56(11), pages 3517-3532.
    21. Itamar Drechsler, 2014. "Risk Choice under High-Water Marks," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(7), pages 2052-2096.
    22. Jeremy C. Stein, 2009. "Presidential Address: Sophisticated Investors and Market Efficiency," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(4), pages 1517-1548, August.
    23. Sid Browne, 1997. "Survival and Growth with a Liability: Optimal Portfolio Strategies in Continuous Time," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 22(2), pages 468-493, May.
    24. 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)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Racicot, François-Éric & Théoret, Raymond, 2018. "Multi-moment risk, hedging strategies, & the business cycle," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 637-675.
    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. Huang, Wenli & Liu, Wenqiong & Lu, Lei & Mu, Congming, 2023. "Hedge funds trading strategies and leverage," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    4. Congming Mu & Jingzhou Yan & Jinqiang Yang, 2023. "Robust risk choice under high-water mark contract," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 295-322, July.

    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. Zhao, Li & Huang, Wenli & Ba, Shusong, 2018. "Optimal effort under high-water mark contracts," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 599-610.
    2. Andrew W. Lo & Mila Getmansky & Peter A. Lee, 2015. "Hedge Funds: A Dynamic Industry in Transition," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 7(1), pages 483-577, December.
    3. Mu, Congming & Yan, Jingzhou & Liang, Zhian, 2021. "Optimal risk taking under high-water mark contract with jump risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    4. Benoît Dewaele, 2013. "Leverage and Alpha: The Case of Funds of Hedge Funds," Working Papers CEB 13-033, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Dai, Na & Nahata, Rajarishi & Brauner, Aaron, 2022. "Does individualism matter for hedge funds? A cross-country examination," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    6. François-Éric Racicot & Raymond Théoret, 2022. "Tracking market and non-traditional sources of risks in procyclical and countercyclical hedge fund strategies under extreme scenarios: a nonlinear VAR approach," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 1-56, December.
    7. Agarwal, Vikas & Ruenzi, Stefan & Weigert, Florian, 2017. "Tail risk in hedge funds: A unique view from portfolio holdings," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(3), pages 610-636.
    8. Ang, Andrew & Gorovyy, Sergiy & van Inwegen, Gregory B., 2011. "Hedge fund leverage," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(1), pages 102-126, October.
    9. Lan, Yingcong & Wang, Neng & Yang, Jinqiang, 2013. "The economics of hedge funds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(2), pages 300-323.
    10. Li, Jiangyuan & Liu, Bo & Yang, Jinqiang & Zou, Zhentao, 2020. "Hedge fund’s dynamic leverage decisions under time-inconsistent preferences," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 284(2), pages 779-791.
    11. Congming Mu & Jingzhou Yan & Jinqiang Yang, 2023. "Robust risk choice under high-water mark contract," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 295-322, July.
    12. Bian, Jiangze & Da, Zhi & He, Zhiguo & Lou, Dong & Shue, Kelly & Zhou, Hao, 2021. "Margin trading and leverage management," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118851, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    13. Huang, Wenli & Liu, Wenqiong & Lu, Lei & Mu, Congming, 2023. "Hedge funds trading strategies and leverage," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    14. Scheckenbach, Isabel & Wimmer, Maximilian & Dorfleitner, Gregor, 2021. "The higher you fly, the harder you try not to fall: An analysis of the risk taking behavior in social trading," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 239-259.
    15. Mark D. Flood & Phillip Monin, 2016. "Form PF and Hedge Funds: Risk-measurement Precision for Option Portfolios," Working Papers 16-02, Office of Financial Research, US Department of the Treasury.
    16. 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).
    17. Ewald, Christian-Oliver & Zhang, Hai, 2016. "Hedge fund seeding via fees-for-seed swaps under idiosyncratic risk," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 45-59.
    18. Ron Kaniel & Stathis Tompaidis & Ti Zhou, 2019. "Impact of Managerial Commitment on Risk Taking with Dynamic Fund Flows," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(7), pages 3174-3195, July.
    19. Judy Qiu & Leilei Tang & Ingo Walter, 2018. "Hedge fund incentives, management commitment and survivorship," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 32(2), pages 115-142, May.
    20. Joni Kokkonen & Matti Suominen, 2015. "Hedge Funds and Stock Market Efficiency," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(12), pages 2890-2904, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hedge fund; Leverage; High-water mark; Financial crisis; State shift;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

    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:reveco:v:57:y:2018:i:c:p:258-273. 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/620165 .

    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.