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- 22 November 2010
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Hey champ. It's the cost of education as RoE more or less implies or says. A Harvard/Stanford MBA costs around USD 100k including various costs. It opens a lot of doors and is readily repayed. If the quote refers to you, may your education be fruitful and your future success assured.
There is overwhelming statistical evidence that rebal works in the universe which has been specified and the time period used.
RY,
I haven't had time to go through all of your long post today at all, but just had a quick reread, and this springs up...
1. That is just garbage. In the real world the rebalancing cost money over buy and hold during the period, thousands of dollars before transaction costs or tax, both of which in reality are higher than you make out.
2. It is a shame my duaghter who is doing a Phd in statistics left after visiting yesterday before you posted your post. Next time she is home I'll show her your statistical insights and get comments from her.
3. Needless to say though, your tune on rebalancing changed as the real world example, that lost money (compared to buy and hold), went through it's changes.
4. Instead of just using the example, you changed the example to a universe of stocks. No it wasn't, it was a group of stocks in a theoretical portfolio of 20 stocks, not 10, nor 10 groups of 2, all of which are changes in parameters to prove something works that clearly did not.
5. Running Monte-carlo simulations is something that Tech/A does, I don't, as I don't agree with the assumption that anything can happen. Clearly price movements are in responce to real world events/prices, not statistical outliers that have no chance of occurring in the real world.
6. Rebalancing is just a fancy way of re-stating averaging down, by selling your winners on a regular basis to add to your losers, the results of my small study highlighted this. If I were to continue andjust one of the stocks continued to go down in price and then get delisted, over a period of years, the entire funds of the portfolio would be directed toards that one stock, a rediculous situation. Yet that is where re-balancing leads.
7. If I get time, I will go back over that portfolio and instead of rebalancing, do the opposite, add to winners and cull the losers to see where it would lead. my real life trading experience tells me it will work well, especially asI have the advantage of hindsight to optimise it. However I will do several different types of adding and culling.
I may even do a live real time thread on trades with a small $100k portfolio to see where it leads as I will have plenty of free time thanks to surgeon, shortly.
Guess What?Nice to hear from you.
...
6. If you hold a portfolio of stocks and they get liquidated, rebal is toast. Guess what, so is buy-hold. If you argue that you'll get out of the dog stocks, great. Rebal is just added to that too. It is not either or. Refer post to Ves #55.
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Believe it or not, I could care less if anyone takes this concept up. I am just responding to queries and trying to bring factual truth to the surface and getting my concept of truth better honed.
Rebal is a tiny part of investing and I'm sprouting off like an academic having to defend real world activity like I've never seen daylight when I used to have ~$100m daily VaR 95 and know just a little bit more than this concept and stuff out of textbooks.
2. If something makes more money, then it will help you to achieve your financial goals sooner. You know the compound math for a simple increment of 1%. Let's do it for the viewers. Aged 45, a $100k portfolio earning 8% per annum after all frictions accumulates to $466k by 65 and if this were boosted by 1%, a figure which I hope you can see is achievable from the above and is actually below the margin earned by intense rebal processes, that figure rises to $560k. What's so irrelevant about that?
Any matching asset brings risk of mismatch unless we can construct perfect matching streams on assets and liabilities.
Let's examine the results. I have used the same universe as you have conducted the analysis from. Very good of you to allow your tests to be examined. Research dates are 1/1/2012 to 31/3/2014 to allow clean quarterly rebalancing but otherwise are a representation of the same investment period. I trust they are satisfactory from a survivorship or whatever bias given you were prepared to use it. The data included dividends reinvested as per research convention. They are easily obtained from the ASX or your favoured data vendor.
1. I mentioned earlier, that every portfolio history is just one journey from a garden of forking (got to check my spelling) paths. Just one. And this assertion is a probabilistic one. This message hasn't come through. So let's step it out.
I have taken the selection universe of 20 stocks. We form portfolios in 10% blocks. So each portfolio we are testing contains 10 blocks of 10% initial weight. We then truly randomly build portfolios consisting of 10% blocks taken from the universe of 20. One path in a garden of forking paths.
This simple Monte-Carlo selection method for building portfolios allows for several paths...each of which is at least as valid as the one random portfolio reported. Feel free to question it...it just is. But just in case this helps, I have run the numbers for a 20 unit portfolio, each of 5% which allows up to 20 stocks in the portfolio and the results are stronger than the ones I'll show below.
How many paths are there for the really simple 10 unit portfolio? So many that, if we were to process a portfolio per millisecond (one-thousandth of a second), and assuming the age of the universe is 13.8 bn years as is generally assumed by astronomers and physicists at present, it would need 630 million times as long to check every one. That's a lot of forking paths to explore.
......
My memory is fairly bad when it needs to go back to something I haven't used since university.... so I looked it up.Interesting discussion going on here.
Retired Young - unless my probability math fails me there is only 184,756 unique 10 stock portfolios that can be drawn from the 20 stock universe covering the time frame stated, and of course only 1, 20 stock portfolio.
Interesting discussion going on here.
Retired Young - unless my probability math fails me there is only 184,756 unique 10 stock portfolios that can be drawn from the 20 stock universe covering the time frame stated, and of course only 1, 20 stock portfolio.
Using quartly returns as data points in the Monte Carlo simulation would give you the sort of permutations you are suggesting but it would also invalidate the validity of the Monte Carlo results because the data has serial correlation. Would it not?
Back testing validity aside - Interesting discussion on how much of the statistical academic research can be translated into retail investing. Similar excess return is academically indicated for value stocks, small caps etc.
Real question is if you can structure (financially, psychologically) to capture the returns as a retail sized investor.
I tend to differ in opinion to you on wether rebalancing can be cream on the cake under all circumstances. The advantage is only statistically defined under certain structures ie wide enough diversification, enough volatility, similarity in ultimate performance etc.
1. Guess What? Unsurprisingly, you've conveniently misconstrued a perfectly valid argument against the case for rebalancing. Did you really think we wouldn't notice?
2. Many of us are already aware of how terribly easy it is to derive a living from managing billions of dollars of other peoples' money. Try doing it with your own funds and see how well your fanciful and idealistic investment theories work.
3. Do you think you could survive a whole year, solely reliant on investment returns from a sub six figure sum (i.e. <$100k) without diminishing your capital or drawing income from other sources?
(I believe that some of the posters challenging your rebalancing claims are able to do this! The question is, with all your purported financial "wisdom" could you?!!!)
My memory is fairly bad when it needs to go back to something I haven't used since university.... so I looked it up.
Mainly for my own benefit, but someone else might be interested.
20! / (10! x (20! - 10!))
= 20! / (10! x 10!)
= 184,756.
! represents factorial. In long hand 4! is just 4 x 3 x 2 x 1
I even know how to do it in Excel now. The function is Fact(number).
It is amazing what you can figure out if you spend 10 minutes.
Hi Cynic! It's great to meet such positive people in this site. Nice of you to come out of your hole.
1. If you think item 6. from BRTY was an accurate depiction of portfolio activity then - guess what - you're off plantation. Under real world conditions, stocks don't go down in straight lines and stocks don't go up in straight lines. The fact that they behave like this produces rebal profits. In a diversified, equally weighted, portfolio of, let's say, 50 securities, 2% would be invested in the loser stock called Cynical-AU. As this drifts to zero, positive expectancy exceeds the loss of value in the stock in general - although this is a probabilistic statement. Nonetheless, as the stock moves down and rebal occurs, the portfolio is spread over the entire portfolio, not into the loser stock. The portfolio is never fully invested into Cynical-AU loser stock under BRTY's scenario. Think like this - all stocks start with 2% in them. Cynical-AU drops to zero. The portfolio takes a hit and the remaining 98% of the portfolio is rebalanced. At every stage of a gradual decline, it's just this step in smaller increments. At no stage is the portfolio fully invested in Cynical-AU under the conditions that BRTY laid out.
Check your maths before you hurl BS about. I hope people are noticing.
2. Yeah, work was fun. A Pina Colada a day keeps the Dr away. But sometimes, when the seas were rough and my yacht would roll, it made flipping coins for stock selection more challenging. As to private investing, I am. It's delicious. Thanks for asking. I'm quite private in real life but - since you asked - we are living large and are accumulating even if I'm retired. Crazy huh?
3. It was 2 generations ago that my family lived under those conditions. We did it. If it came to it, and survival was at stake, why wouldn't I eat cat food and go dumpster diving? I'd do that for my family without a doubt. Thus, if it came to it, I could and would. However, I applied my financial wisdom to get seriously f^&king rich so that we would not encounter this scenario for at least 3 generations. I want my grandkids to come to ASF and list themselves as "Retired_from_Birth" as they deal with this stuff for kicks. It's not all about cost-cutting you know. You can't cut your way to growth. How about that for financial wisdom?
Lighten up and put a chip in the other shoulder for symmetry.
Interesting discussion going on here.
1. Retired Young - unless my probability math fails me there is only 184,756 unique 10 stock portfolios that can be drawn from the 20 stock universe covering the time frame stated, and of course only 1, 20 stock portfolio.
2. Using quartly returns as data points in the Monte Carlo simulation would give you the sort of permutations you are suggesting but it would also invalidate the validity of the Monte Carlo results because the data has serial correlation. Would it not?
3. Back testing validity aside - Interesting discussion on how much of the statistical academic research can be translated into retail investing. Similar excess return is academically indicated for value stocks, small caps etc.
4. Real question is if you can structure (financially, psychologically) to capture the returns as a retail sized investor.
5. I tend to differ in opinion to you on wether rebalancing can be cream on the cake under all circumstances. The advantage is only statistically defined under certain structures ie wide enough diversification, enough volatility, similarity in ultimate performance etc.
The less forecast skill you have, the greater the relative importance of rebal and the less that changes in your view will affect the portfolio....hope that makes sense. In the absence of any stock selection skill, you just move straight to the pure rebal portfolio which tends to produce around 2% per annum outperformance in general over time and would be responsible for 100% of outperformance. On average, skill is zero. Hence, on average it is better for anyone to just hold a diverse portfolio and rebal and be done with it.
Thankyou for your cheerful response. I've been enjoying reading your contributions, however, I am still very much in agreement with several others that rebalancing exposes one's portfolio to significant risk from the corrosive effects of components suffering from chronic altitude sickness.
No amount of mathematical, statistical or verbal obfuscation will persuade me to dismiss the evidence of my own experience.
Whilst I've witnessed some opportune scenarios for rebalancing, I've also witnessed plenty where ardent rebalancing would likely have proved catastrophic!
Imagine twenty buckets placed in different locations for the purpose of catching as much rainfall as possible. Imagine what happens when just one bucket has a hole near its base. Do you think rebalancing will yield the greatest accumulation of rainfall in this scenario?
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognise the glaringly obvious flaw in the rebalancing philosophy!!!
In the simulation, I mentioned that 40% of rebal portfolios did worse than their buy-hold counterparts and, obviously, 60% did better.
Those returns remain unchanged and in the sequence that they were actually delivered to the market. The time series properties, including serial correlation are fully preserved. What we changed in the Monte Carlo was the stock weights..
Damn, where the heck have you been? I've made 100+ posts and you only turn up now? You've just been letting be dangle in the wind all this time? I hope you've got a damned good explanation for that mate...
5. Rebal is a stochastic process. There is an element of chance in it. In the simulation, I mentioned that 40% of rebal portfolios did worse than their buy-hold counterparts and, obviously, 60% did better. So I sincerely hope that I have been consistent in saying this is probabilistic and the probability of success improves with the passage of time. No process other than pure arbitrage will deliver what you have indicated that I said. If I said it somewhere, I retract it with apologies.
The idea is then to add rebal on some other process which you think also has positive expectancy. All these edges add up to something closer to a smooth path to a yacht or whatever tickles you.
RY,
This was not a simulation, it was a real world example, it was what happened. All your simulation stuff makes you sound like a university student that has learned a lot from academics that teach. You need to understand that the rebal into losing stocks can and does underperform, plain and simple.
Thanks for making me do the exercise. I have come across others who started funds with similar types of theories, of course they called it something different, dollar cost "something" or dollar avaraging "something" I believe. The GFC brought them undone with the fund folding and the spruiker going bankrupt.
Of course there is nothing wrong with the theory, it works beautifully on the top stocks in hindsight.
Ok, time to look at some details. Despite RY changing opinion on a few matters, I'll go back to the portfolio I randomly started for the following reasons. This from RY in post 55.
While any argument against the portfolio of 20 stocks chosen is probably accurate, it is a diverse portfolio, and one that with hindsight we can claim the holder had an "absence of stock selection skill" so it meets RYs parameter.
The claim is 2% per annum outperformance. After 2 years there is a 27% underperformance, before tax and transaction costs.
I just spent a couple of hours working out the taxable income along the way. It's unbelievable, on a quarter by quarter basis, the numbers for added taxable income for rebalancing are Q1 $4112 Q2 $3272 Q3 $10,115 Q4 $6209 Q5 $18070 Q6 $11463 Q7 $10224. A total of $57,885 or tax payable at the 30% tax rate of $18233 (including medicare). These numbers EXCLUDE dividends.
The 20 stock portfolio, from randomly drawn stocks, with rebalancing is even worse than first imagined. Out of the gain of $70,541 you would have to allow/deduct tax of $18233 leaving a stock portfolio with a gain of $52,307 against the buy and hold portfolio with a gain of $89,714.
So for this portfolio rebalancing quarterly, there is an outperformance of over 71% for B+H over rebalancing.
The portfolio started as ... and finished the same with $48886 in dividends for B+H
STO 1,779
BSA 102,040
OKN 20,242
GAP 100,000
NBL 40,983
MND 1,106
AGK 1,753
BHP 672
CAB 5,144
NWH 7,763
GUD 3,180
SHV 13,513
ROC 68,493
CYG 10,416
TGR 19,920
RDM 142,857
AGO 7,575
MGX 17,857
NCM 746
NST 25,773
Rebalanced finished with...
STO 1844
BSA 211030
OKN 15632
GAP 94598
NBL 45722
MND 1565
AGK 1787
BHP 722
CAB 7238
NWH 22085
GUD 5006
SHV 6332
ROC 58996
CYG 9458
TGR 8547
RDM 211932
AGO 23856
MGX 27994
NCM 2785
NST 34078
Transaction fees have not been taken into consideration, they would however reduce the taxable income as they are tax deductable. Doesn't matter, rebalancing clearly did not work with this portfolio over the 2 year period. This is totally contrary to the claimed outperformance of 2% for someone without any skill selection in stock performance.
RY, it doesn't matter how you try to slice and dice the results, in the real world this portfolio showed massive underperformance for re-balancing. In fact it highlighted the weaknesses, and it was random, not deliberately done.
RY,
This was not a simulation, it was a real world example, it was what happened. All your simulation stuff makes you sound like a university student that has learned a lot from academics that teach. You need to understand that the rebal into losing stocks can and does underperform, plain and simple.
Thanks for making me do the exercise. I have come across others who started funds with similar types of theories, of course they called it something different, dollar cost "something" or dollar avaraging "something" I believe. The GFC brought them undone with the fund folding and the spruiker going bankrupt.
Of course there is nothing wrong with the theory, it works beautifully on the top stocks in hindsight.
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