Correction to: Applying multivariate-fractionally integrated volatility analysis on emerging market bond portfolios

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Financial instruments and investment strategies based on volatility – proprietary strategies and market-neutral financial products

The paper presents a comprehensive introduction to volatility trading, from explaining the definition of volatility, through simple strategies for getting exposure to volatility, to advanced ETN products constructed from derivatives on the VIX index. The theoretical part discusses the idea of volatility trading derived from the assumptions of the Black-Scholes option valuation model. The remainder of this paper presents derivatives that provide exposure to volatility along with the opportunities and pitfalls faced by investors in this market. The practical part presents the proprietary approach to creating investment strategies based on the anomalies of implied volatility of the S & P500 and model portfolios built of products from the Volatility ETP segment and the ETF for the S & P500 index, dedicated to cautious investors, which can be an alternative to mixed equity and bond portfolios.

Climate Change in the Capital Markets: A Study of Actively Managed Green Bond Funds

In this study, we carried out a performance analysis of green bond portfolios available from public databases for the period between 2017 and 2020. The aim of our research was to obtain empirical proof for the existence of the green premium, which was confirmed by risk-adjusted indicators, i.e. the Sharpe ratio, the M2 ratio and the Sortino ratio. The green premium is the return differential that can be measured between green and conventional financial instruments. According to the literature, investors are willing to forego 1 to 9 basis points of their returns in the interests of financing climate targets, to cover the issuer’s extra costs incurred from green bond ratings and reporting obligations. Our results confirmed that the green bond portfolio underperforms benchmark indices by an average green premium of 2 basis points. We only found a single green bond fund that did not involve a green premium and was capable of achieving a risk-adjusted excess return. Nevertheless, it is noted that all of the indicators used showed that the average performance of green bonds improved steadily each year in the period under review.

Applying multivariate-fractionally integrated volatility analysis on emerging market bond portfolios

This study examines emerging market (EM) local bonds from a portfolio risk perspective and suggests methodologies for risk evaluation, on which the literature is limited. Despite the growth of EM bond funds in recent years, comprehensive studies regarding this industry have been scarce. In light of this, 203 different local bonds of EM countries—Indonesia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Mexico, and Turkey—are elaborated in terms of return, volatility, and cross-correlation features. This study focuses on an untouched field—long memory properties—and the application of fractional models to EM bond portfolios. Based on the outcomes of a dynamic conditional correlation and fractionally integrated generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity approach and related value at risk analysis, the study finds that fractional models are useful tools for risk management, as they deliver satisfactory empirical results for several static and dynamic versions of EM bond portfolios.

The power of diversification: Do African fixed-income investors have a chance in Malaysian Sukuk market?

PurposeThis study investigates the presence of portfolio diversification benefits for South African, Nigerian, Ghanaian and Kenyan fixed-income investors diversifying bond portfolios in the Malaysian sovereign Sukuk market.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses wavelet coherence and a multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic (GARCH) model. The data cover the period from September 2013 to January 2019.FindingsThe findings obtained from the wavelet coherence model reveal evidence of portfolio diversification opportunities for African fixed-income investors in the Malaysian sovereign Sukuk market. These opportunities are more significant in the short- and medium-term investment horizons than in the long-term. Also, the results of multivariate GARCH show that the Malaysian Sukuk market has a negative unconditional correlation with the South African bond market, signifying better diversification benefits for these investors.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for both fund managers and investors intending to include Sukuk in a diversified portfolio to reduce their risks and maximize their return from bonds.Originality/valueTo the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first study to examine the opportunities for African investors in the Malaysian Sukuk market.