International portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints
International financial portfolios can be exposed to substantial risk from variations of the exchange rates between the countries in which they hold investments. Nonetheless, foreign exchange can both generate extra return as well as loss to a portfolio, hence rather than just being avoided, there a...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2017
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43781/ |
| _version_ | 1848796766968741888 |
|---|---|
| author | Chatsanga, Nonthachote Parkes, Andrew J. |
| author_facet | Chatsanga, Nonthachote Parkes, Andrew J. |
| author_sort | Chatsanga, Nonthachote |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | International financial portfolios can be exposed to substantial risk from variations of the exchange rates between the countries in which they hold investments. Nonetheless, foreign exchange can both generate extra return as well as loss to a portfolio, hence rather than just being avoided, there are potential advantages to well-managed international portfolios. This paper introduces an optimisation model that manages currency exposure of a portfolio through a combination of foreign exchange forward contracts, thereby creating a “currency overlay” on top of asset allocation. Crucially, the hedging and transaction costs associated with holding forward contracts are taken into account in the portfolio risk and return calculations. This novel extension of previous overlay models improves the accuracy of the risk and return calculations of portfolios. Consequently, more accurate investment decisions are obtained through optimal asset allocation and hedging positions. Our experimental results show that inclusion of such costs significantly changes the optimal decisions. Furthermore, effects of constraints related to currency hedging are examined. It is shown that tighter constraints weaken the benefit of a currency overlay and that forward positions vary significantly across return targets. A larger currency overlay is advantageous at low and high return targets, whereas small overlay positions are observed at medium return targets. The resulting system can hence enhance intelligent expert decision support for financial managers. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:53:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-43781 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:53:12Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-437812020-05-04T19:12:34Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43781/ International portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints Chatsanga, Nonthachote Parkes, Andrew J. International financial portfolios can be exposed to substantial risk from variations of the exchange rates between the countries in which they hold investments. Nonetheless, foreign exchange can both generate extra return as well as loss to a portfolio, hence rather than just being avoided, there are potential advantages to well-managed international portfolios. This paper introduces an optimisation model that manages currency exposure of a portfolio through a combination of foreign exchange forward contracts, thereby creating a “currency overlay” on top of asset allocation. Crucially, the hedging and transaction costs associated with holding forward contracts are taken into account in the portfolio risk and return calculations. This novel extension of previous overlay models improves the accuracy of the risk and return calculations of portfolios. Consequently, more accurate investment decisions are obtained through optimal asset allocation and hedging positions. Our experimental results show that inclusion of such costs significantly changes the optimal decisions. Furthermore, effects of constraints related to currency hedging are examined. It is shown that tighter constraints weaken the benefit of a currency overlay and that forward positions vary significantly across return targets. A larger currency overlay is advantageous at low and high return targets, whereas small overlay positions are observed at medium return targets. The resulting system can hence enhance intelligent expert decision support for financial managers. Elsevier 2017-10-15 Article PeerReviewed Chatsanga, Nonthachote and Parkes, Andrew J. (2017) International portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints. Expert Systems with Applications, 83 . pp. 333-349. ISSN 0957-4174 Mean-variance optimisation; Currency overlay; Foreign exchange forward contracts http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957417417302440 doi:10.1016/j.eswa.2017.04.009 doi:10.1016/j.eswa.2017.04.009 |
| spellingShingle | Mean-variance optimisation; Currency overlay; Foreign exchange forward contracts Chatsanga, Nonthachote Parkes, Andrew J. International portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints |
| title | International portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints |
| title_full | International portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints |
| title_fullStr | International portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints |
| title_full_unstemmed | International portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints |
| title_short | International portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints |
| title_sort | international portfolio optimisation with integrated currency overlay costs and constraints |
| topic | Mean-variance optimisation; Currency overlay; Foreign exchange forward contracts |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43781/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43781/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43781/ |