Testing for the Minimum Mean-Variance Spanning Set

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Liao, Zhipeng, Wang, Bin, Zhou, Wenyu
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Liao, Zhipeng
Wang, Bin
Zhou, Wenyu
author_facet Liao, Zhipeng
Wang, Bin
Zhou, Wenyu
contents This paper explores the estimation and inference of the minimum spanning set (MSS), the smallest subset of risky assets that spans the mean-variance efficient frontier of the full asset set. We establish identification conditions for the MSS and develop a novel procedure for its estimation and inference. Our theoretical analysis shows that the proposed MSS estimator covers the true MSS with probability approaching 1 and converges asymptotically to the true MSS at any desired confidence level, such as 0.95 or 0.99. Monte Carlo simulations confirm the strong finite-sample performance of the MSS estimator. We apply our method to evaluate the relative importance of individual stock momentum and factor momentum strategies, along with a set of well-established stock return factors. The empirical results highlight factor momentum, along with several stock momentum and return factors, as key drivers of mean-variance efficiency. Furthermore, our analysis uncovers the sources of contribution from these factors and provides a ranking of their relative importance, offering new insights into their roles in mean-variance analysis.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_19213
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Testing for the Minimum Mean-Variance Spanning Set
Liao, Zhipeng
Wang, Bin
Zhou, Wenyu
Portfolio Management
This paper explores the estimation and inference of the minimum spanning set (MSS), the smallest subset of risky assets that spans the mean-variance efficient frontier of the full asset set. We establish identification conditions for the MSS and develop a novel procedure for its estimation and inference. Our theoretical analysis shows that the proposed MSS estimator covers the true MSS with probability approaching 1 and converges asymptotically to the true MSS at any desired confidence level, such as 0.95 or 0.99. Monte Carlo simulations confirm the strong finite-sample performance of the MSS estimator. We apply our method to evaluate the relative importance of individual stock momentum and factor momentum strategies, along with a set of well-established stock return factors. The empirical results highlight factor momentum, along with several stock momentum and return factors, as key drivers of mean-variance efficiency. Furthermore, our analysis uncovers the sources of contribution from these factors and provides a ranking of their relative importance, offering new insights into their roles in mean-variance analysis.
title Testing for the Minimum Mean-Variance Spanning Set
topic Portfolio Management
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.19213