Active portfolio management adapted for the emerging markets

Abstract

In the emerging markets with a fast growing economy but a not quite efficient capital market, investors try to find a constant excess return against the benchmark from active portfolio management. In this paper, after defining what an active portfolio is, we tested various alpha generating strategies empirically in the emerging markets and reviewed possible asset allocation models as implementation methods for those alpha generating strategies. For finding adaptable alpha strategies for the emerging markets, an empirical study was carried out for four possible alpha generating strategies - value and growth strategy, Fama- French multi-factor strategy, residual earning strategy, and momentum strategy - in 14 emerging countries. The results from alpha testing for fundamental strategies showed a positive correlation between the alpha return and the multi-factor used in size and book-to-market ratio in most Asian countries. Also, the results for technical strategy commonly showed mean-reversion effect in the short run in most emerging countries. Following this empirical test results, we discussed the two possible asset allocation models adapted for active portfolio management to implement alpha generating strategy: Treynor- Black Model and Black-Litterman Model. These two models allow us to input the alpha return and risk obtained by the empirical test results in order to complete active portfolio management. Finally, we expect the completion for active portfolio management adapted for the emerging markets with the empirical test results and the implementation methods.