| 20110289017 | Systems and Methods for Asynchronous Risk Model Return Portfolios - Portfolio optimization typically involves a risk model to control the level of risk in the portfolio constructed. By creating different portfolios using different risk models (fundamental or statistical; long, medium or short horizon) corresponding to different times or dates (a current or an old risk model), one obtains a large number of low risk (volatility) portfolios. A risk model return portfolio is the difference in the any two of these portfolios, and a risk model return is the return associated with a risk model return portfolio. A number of risk model return portfolios exhibit repeatable returns that can be used to an investor's advantage. Furthermore, these returns exhibit very low correlation with the benchmark returns. As such, they are uncorrelated sources of return. Such returns are considered valuable by investors. The present invention uses risk model return portfolios and their returns to create attractive investments for investors. The risk model return portfolios can be used to analyze market trends and create implied alphas for portfolio construction. They can also be used to provide constituent information that can be further used as the basis for an exchange traded fund (ETF), index or other investment vehicle. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20100153307 | Identifying and Compensating for Model Mis-Specification in Factor Risk Models - Techniques for more accurately estimating the risk, or active risk, of an investment portfolio when using factor risk models are disclosed. This improved accuracy is achieved by identifying and compensating for the inherent “modeling error” present when risk is represented using a factor risk model. The approach adds one or more factors that depend on the investment portfolio and that explicitly compensate for factors that are unspecified or unattributed in the original factor risk model. These unspecified factors of the original factor risk model lead to modeling error in the original factor risk model. The approach can be used with a variety of different factor risk models, such as, fundamental, statistical and macro risk models, for example, and for a variety of securities, such as equities, international equities, composites, exchange traded funds (ETFs), or the like, currencies, and fixed-income, for example. The risk associated with modeling error in a factor risk model relative to a particular portfolio is identified and quantified. Knowledge of this risk associated with modeling error can be utilized when estimating risk, or active risk, using factor risk models or when constructing optimal portfolios by mean-variance optimization or other portfolio construction strategies and procedures that make use of factor risk models. | 06-17-2010 |