IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wsi/ijtafx/v16y2013i04ns0219024913500209.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factor Uniqueness In The S&P 500 Universe: Can Proprietary Factors Exist?

Author

Listed:
  • SERGIO M. FOCARDI

    (College of Business, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, USA)

  • FRANK J. FABOZZI

    (EDHEC Business School, New York, USA)

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze factor uniqueness in the S&P 500 universe. The current theory of approximate factor models applies to infinite markets. In the limit of infinite markets, factors are unique and can be represented with principal components. If this theory would apply to realistic markets such as the S&P 500 universe, the quest for proprietary factors would be futile. We find that this is not the case: in finite markets of the size of the S&P 500 universe different factor models can indeed coexist. We compare three dynamic factor models: a factor model based on principal component analysis, a classical factor model based on industry, and a factor model based on cluster analysis. Dynamic behavior is represented by fitting vector autoregressive models to factors and using them to make forecasts. We analyze the uniqueness of factors using Procrustes analysis and correlation analysis. Forecasting performance of the factor models is analyzed by forming active portfolio strategies based on the forecasts for each model using sample data from the S&P 500 index in the 21-year period 1989–2010. We find that one or two factors which we can identify with global factors are common to all models, while the other factors for the factor models we analyzed are truly different. Models exhibit significant differences in performance with principal component analysis-based factor models appearing to behave better than the sector-based factor models.

Suggested Citation

  • Sergio M. Focardi & Frank J. Fabozzi, 2013. "Factor Uniqueness In The S&P 500 Universe: Can Proprietary Factors Exist?," International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Finance (IJTAF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(04), pages 1-20.
  • Handle: RePEc:wsi:ijtafx:v:16:y:2013:i:04:n:s0219024913500209
    DOI: 10.1142/S0219024913500209
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0219024913500209
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1142/S0219024913500209?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. Frank Fabozzi & Sergio Focardi & Caroline Jonas, 2008. "On the challenges in quantitative equity management," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(7), pages 649-665.
    2. Foort HAMELINK, & Hélène HARASTY & Pierre HILLION, 2001. "Country, Sector or Style: What Matters Most When Constructing Global Equity Portfolios? An Empirical Investigation from 1990-2001," FAME Research Paper Series rp35, International Center for Financial Asset Management and Engineering.
    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. Faias, José A. & Ferreira, Miguel A., 2017. "Does institutional ownership matter for international stock return comovement?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 64-83.
    2. Marie-Paule Laurent, 2003. "Indices as diversification instruments in Europe," Working Papers CEB 03-004.RS, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    3. Tamer Boyaci, & Caner Canyakmaz, & Francis de Véricourt,, 2020. "Human and machine: The impact of machine input on decision-making under cognitive limitations," ESMT Research Working Papers ESMT-20-02, ESMT European School of Management and Technology.
    4. Foort Hamelink & Martin Hoesli, 2004. "What Factors Determine International Real Estate Security Returns?," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 32(3), pages 437-462, September.
    5. Maximilian Vermorken & Ariane Szafarz & Hugues Pirotte, 2008. "Sector classification through non-Gaussian similarity," Working Papers CEB 08-032.RS, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    6. Miguel, António F. & Chen, Yihao, 2021. "Do machines beat humans? Evidence from mutual fund performance persistence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    7. Michel Beine & Pierre-Yves Preumont & Ariane Szafarz, 2006. "Sector diversification during crises: a European perspective," DULBEA Working Papers 06-07.RS, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    8. Huij, Joop & Derwall, Jeroen, 2011. "Global equity fund performance, portfolio concentration, and the fundamental law of active management," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 155-165, January.
    9. Min Zhu & David Philpotts & Maxwell J Stevenson, 2012. "The benefits of tree-based models for stock selection," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 13(6), pages 437-448, December.
    10. Maximilian A M Vermorken, 2011. "GICS or ICB, how different is similar?," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 30-44, April.
    11. Joliet, Robert & Hubner, Georges, 2008. "Corporate international diversification and the cost of equity: European evidence," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 102-123, February.
    12. Hamelink, F. & Hoesli, M., 2002. "What factors determine real estate security returns?," Serie Research Memoranda 0017, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    13. Oliver Williams & Stephen Satchell, 2011. "Social welfare issues of financial literacy and their implications for regulation," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 1-40, August.
    14. Katharina Schwaiger & Cormac Lucas & Gautam Mitra, 2010. "Alternative decision models for liability-driven investment," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(2), pages 178-193, June.

    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:wsi:ijtafx:v:16:y:2013:i:04:n:s0219024913500209. 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: Tai Tone Lim (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.worldscinet.com/ijtaf/ijtaf.shtml .

    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.