“Low-Volatility Stocks and the Return of Market Stress” in Pulse Online
20 Feb 2018
“Low-Volatility Stocks and the Return of Market Stress” in Pulse Online
The violent market pullbacks that many traders had gotten used to living without are back. A widely cited reason for the downtrend has been the jump in U.S. bond yields, which puts pressure on asset and financial returns. Some have also pointed to products that bet against an increase in volatility as having exacerbated the sell-off. Others simply say that, following a record-breaking run in recent months, a market correction was due.
Within this unusual market stress, the article in Pulse Online looks at the performance of a portfolio of equities constructed with the aim of fending off volatility better than a market-capitalization portfolio. A minimum-variance strategy is considered, also known as an efficient portfolio with minimal risk.