The thesis examines the strategy of country momentum and is evaluated with 30 different country exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for the period 1996-2018. The empirical evaluation is designed to apply different formation- and holding periods with overlapping portfolios. The results show positive momentum returns in various periods and a few portfolios present a higher average return than the market. However, none of the portfolios is presenting any significant positive returns or alphas, meaning that the three hypotheses cannot be rejected. On the other hand, some portfolios have higher Sharpe ratios and Morningstar value than the market. Thus, meaning that the individual investor could prefer the momentum portfolio over the market despite the insignificant returns.

This study will investigate how Joel Greenblatts magic formula has performed on the Swedish stock market compared to the OMXSPI index. The study will also investigate how different portfolio sizes when using the magic formula will perform in a risk perspective to see if it has been more rewardable to take more risk.

The diploma thesis deals with comparison performance of leverage and inverse exchange traded funds and their underlying assets in the USA. The theoretical part is focusing on the description of collective investment, mutual funds, exchange traded funds and overview of the main conclusions of empirical studies which are focused on the similar topic. The empirical part is focused on comparison performance of leverage and inverse ETF on given investment horizons according to the yield-risk indicator in 2014–2019. Based on result is recommended the most appropriate investment strategy for each underlying asset.

A high return is a driving factor for most investors. The ways to reach success are many and different investment strategies on how to earn high returns have been discussed for decades. Value stocks (low P/E ratios) and growth stocks (high P/E ratios) are two strategies among the investment area with different and contrary results on which strategy can give the highest possible return. However, studies of the P/E effect have shown different results the last years compared to previous findings of a value premium for low P/E stocks, with trends of a higher return for growth stocks compared to value stocks. This led us to the research question “Does a portfolio of growth stocks present a higher return than a portfolio with value stocks on the Swedish and Norwegian stock markets?”. The problem that the study aims to answer is therefore if a portfolio of growth stocks provides a higher return than a portfolio of value stocks between the years 2001-2021. The long timespan will give us the opportunity to evaluate the stock markets during both booms and busts. Our study is made on historical data on the Swedish and the Norwegian stock markets since we found a lack of previous research in these countries within the research area. To fulfil the purpose of the study and to answer the research question, a quantitative method is used with historical data provided from Eikon (Thomson Reuters DataStream) where firms are sorted on the P/E ratios and after that growth and value portfolios are created. We will present both the actual return as well as a risk adjusted return for the stocks. The risk adjusted returns are conducted by using the financial measurements Sharpe ratio and Jensen’s alpha. The result of the study shows that on a 5 % significance level, growth stocks presented a higher actual return than value stocks for both Sweden and Norway. The same evidence was found for the returns for growth stocks compared to market index. Though, when testing the risk adjusted returns, the null hypothesis could not be rejected, which implies that a statistical difference between the portfolios could not be found.

ESG investing is a hot subject in today’s world with socially responsible investments under management reaching 35.3 trillion in the beginning of 2020. Corporations today are highly affected by social and government pressure to take on corporate social responsibility. This rise in corporate social responsibility has led to a need for a deeper understanding of what lies beneath the ESG score and how this affect financial performance. In this study we disassemble the ESG score into its 10 subcategories and test how risk and financial return get affected by investing in a high scored portfolio compared to a low scored one. The study is carried out from the start of 2012 to the end of 2021. When testing our portfolios, the Fama-French five-factor model is applied, and we find results that shows that the alpha is positive and significant in 16 out of 20 portfolios. Our findings suggest that investing in low scored portfolios produce higher excess return than both the top portfolio and the market and that a portfolio consisting of low scored corporations have a higher Sharpe ratio in general than a portfolio consisting of high scored stocks. Furthermore, we find results indicating that for most of the ESG subcategories, investing in the portfolios with high ESG subcategory scores will provide significant excess return to the market.

Avsikten med studien är att undersöka den magiska formelns prestation på den svenska aktiemarknaden mellan åren 2017–2021. Syftet är att undersöka om denmagiska formeln kan uppnå en högre riskjusterad avkastning än OMXS30 underundersökningsperioden. I denna studie tillämpas backtesting med hjälp av historiska data hämtat från Refinitv Eikons databas för att utforska strategins prestation under undersökningsperioden. Målet med denna studie var att undersöka om den magiska formeln kan användas av investerare med mindre erfarenhet för att uppnå en högre riskjusterad avkastning än OMXS30-index. Med hjälp av två variabler, return on capital och earnings yield fick vi fram ett resultat för att besvara studiens syfte. Under hela undersökningsperioden uppnådde den magiska formeln en genomsnittlig avkastning på 15,32% medan OMXS30 portföljen uppnådde en avkastning på 10,78%. Resultatet från denna studie visade att den magiska formeln kunde uppnå en högre avkastning än OMXS30 under undersökningsperioden men eftersom Sharpekvoten för OMXS30 var högre än den magiska formeln formas indikationer att OMXS30 presterade bättre än den magiska formeln på en genomsnittlig riskjusterad nivå under undersökningsperioden. / This study examines the performance of the magic formula by Joel Greenblatt on the Swedish stock market. A back test was performed to see if the magic formula could generate a higher risk adjusted return and outperform the OMXS30 index between the years 2017 and 2021. The study constructed portfolios for each year for the magic formula and OMXS30 with the ambition to compare the two results. The results show that the magic formula achieved a higher return at a higher risk rate so therefore, it was not able to beat the OMXS30 index on a risk adjusted level.

No description available.

在投資無國界的全球化金融市場下，國際市場的開放與整合平台的建立，使國內投資人可選擇更多的金融工具。傳統的投資項目多為股票、債券或平衡型商品，在獲利狀況不甚理想下，便開始尋求其他國際的投資管道或是金融商品加入其資產配置中，希望獲取穩定的報酬下，又能降低所承擔的投資風險將投資所需承擔的風險減低。 近年避險基金的投資績效及資產規模成長搶眼，挾著法令寬鬆與靈活運用的操作策略，以及投資範疇廣與市場連動性低等特性，創造出日益壯大的規模。我國積極致力於金融改革，除了監督管理制度面的改善，對於新興金融工具的開放，也是國內投資環境必須跟進的方向。未來在台灣若能開放設立避險基金之前，國內投資人與監管機關所擔負職責，皆應該對此種金融工具有深入的認識。 本研究透過四個概念的架構，去評估避險基金加入投資組合後，是否可以幫助投資人達成降低風險以及增加報酬之目標，以及身為資產管理者如何將避險基金納入其資產配置決策等相關考量；對國內金融主管機關而言，避險基金的開放或是投資限制的放寬是否是正確的金融政策方向，才能配以完善的監理機制與法令規範，使國內投資大眾在投資理財工具上更加完備。 實證結果分析發現，在研究期間避險基金的確可以幫助投資組合之效益提升，但是加入總體情境時，其對投資組合的幫助卻不一致，只有在空頭期間的效果明顯。另外發現沒有避險基金相關之投資限制下的投資組合，其夏普指數高於有限制的投資組合；在避險基金限制放寬下，效率前緣往左上角移動，推論放寬避險基金限制該是正確的金融政策。最後，本研究也發現以機構投資法人而言，避險基金加入投資組合能幫助達到絕對報酬。 / Under the global financial market, which has broken the boundaries between nations, domestic investors now have more choices of financial instruments than they did before. Therefore, besides traditional domestic investment vehicles, such as stocks or mutual funds, domestic investors have started seeking other instruments to enhance their portfolio, pursuing better risk-return profile. In recent years, hedge fund’s performance and assets size have both grew impressively by capitalizing on deregulations and various trading strategies of its own. Besides the improvement in financial supervision system, deregulation and capitalizing on newly innovated financial instruments are also important to the reformation of Taiwan’s financial market. Before hedge funds can be legally raised in Taiwan, both domestic investors and market supervisors should equip themselves with adequate knowledge about this important instrument. By analyzing the four concepts in the third chapter, the research intends to evaluate whether investors can enjoy better risk-return profile by adding hedge funds into their portfolios. Also, the research objective is to provide suggestions to fund managers as they consider their assets allocation. Finally, we want to evaluate whether it is correct for Taiwan to open up to hedge funds, therefore the government can establish feasible supervision system to protect domestic investors’ rights. The research has found that hedge funds could indeed benefit the portfolio during the time period under consideration. However, hedge funds did not have significant effect on the portfolio as macroeconomic scenario was taken into consideration. In the scenario, hedge funds have significantly positive effect on the portfolio only under a bearing market. Furthermore, the research found that the portfolios with less limitation on hedge fund investment can enjoy better Sharp Ratios than those with striker limitation on hedge fund investment. Since the efficiency frontier moved upper left as we reduced the limitation on hedge fund investment in the research, we may conclude that an open-up to hedge funds should be the correct direction for our financial policy. At last, the research also found that institutional investors can get absolute return by adopting hedge funds in their portfolios.

<p>Hedge funds are a debated subject in today’s financial industry. During 2008, despite hedge funds absolute return target, the global hedge fund industry showed a negative performance whilst the Swedish hedge fund market performed relatively well in comparison. Many studies have been made investigating the effect on incorporating hedge funds in a traditional portfolio though none focused separately on the Swedish market. In a global perspective it is quite easy to invest in hedge fund portfolios due to the existence of investable indices. To invest on the Swedish market is a more complex matter. SIX Harcourt HFXS Index is a Swedish hedge fund index representing the Swedish hedge fund market though it is not investable. Hence it would be interesting to see if it is possible to create an investable version of SIX Harcourt HFXS. When creating an investable index, several administrative costs will arise and in order to cover these costs it would be interesting to see whether or not it possible to optimize SIX Harcourt HFXS Index in purpose of achieving a outperformance which could cover any administrative costs for setting up the investable version. Also, since the optimized version must replicate the standard SIX Harcourt HFXS Index it must maintain a certain level of correlation.</p><p>This thesis, which is based on a positivistic epistemology, is built upon a quantitative case study where SIX Harcourt HFXS Index is optimized in purpose of achieving an outperformance in terms of the risk-adjusted return. The optimization uses an adjusted mean-variance methodology and is limited to a maintained correlation above 0,9 towards the standard SIX Harcourt HFXS Index. The optimization is created through the use of an Excel application created by Harcourt Investment Consulting.</p><p>Also, based on the outperformance by Swedish hedge funds compared to global hedge funds, this study aims to show the effect of incorporating Swedish hedge funds in a traditional portfolio consisting of equities and bonds. This effect is analyzed by the use of several performance-and risk measures.</p><p>The study shows that it is possible to optimize SIX Harcourt HFXS Index and produce an outperformance of approximately 1,5% per annum with a maintained correlation above 0,9. It also shows that the effect of incorporating Swedish hedge funds to a traditional portfolio is positive in regards to both risk and return.</p>

Hedge funds are a debated subject in today’s financial industry. During 2008, despite hedge funds absolute return target, the global hedge fund industry showed a negative performance whilst the Swedish hedge fund market performed relatively well in comparison. Many studies have been made investigating the effect on incorporating hedge funds in a traditional portfolio though none focused separately on the Swedish market. In a global perspective it is quite easy to invest in hedge fund portfolios due to the existence of investable indices. To invest on the Swedish market is a more complex matter. SIX Harcourt HFXS Index is a Swedish hedge fund index representing the Swedish hedge fund market though it is not investable. Hence it would be interesting to see if it is possible to create an investable version of SIX Harcourt HFXS. When creating an investable index, several administrative costs will arise and in order to cover these costs it would be interesting to see whether or not it possible to optimize SIX Harcourt HFXS Index in purpose of achieving a outperformance which could cover any administrative costs for setting up the investable version. Also, since the optimized version must replicate the standard SIX Harcourt HFXS Index it must maintain a certain level of correlation. This thesis, which is based on a positivistic epistemology, is built upon a quantitative case study where SIX Harcourt HFXS Index is optimized in purpose of achieving an outperformance in terms of the risk-adjusted return. The optimization uses an adjusted mean-variance methodology and is limited to a maintained correlation above 0,9 towards the standard SIX Harcourt HFXS Index. The optimization is created through the use of an Excel application created by Harcourt Investment Consulting. Also, based on the outperformance by Swedish hedge funds compared to global hedge funds, this study aims to show the effect of incorporating Swedish hedge funds in a traditional portfolio consisting of equities and bonds. This effect is analyzed by the use of several performance-and risk measures. The study shows that it is possible to optimize SIX Harcourt HFXS Index and produce an outperformance of approximately 1,5% per annum with a maintained correlation above 0,9. It also shows that the effect of incorporating Swedish hedge funds to a traditional portfolio is positive in regards to both risk and return.