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Kerry Back

Effect of short sales constraints

  • The effect of short sales constraints depends on correlations and differences in expected returns.
  • If there are assets or portfolios with different expected returns and high correlations, shorting can be useful.
  • E.g., if you think CVX will beat XOM, then buy CVX and short XOM.

Different saving and borrowing rates

  • Two tangency portfolios, one at the saving rate and second at the borrowing rate
  • Frontier/optimal portfolios are the union of
    1. Save \(x_s\) and invest \(1-x_s\) in the saving-rate tangency portfolio
    2. Hold a combination of the two tangency portfolios (without saving or borrowing)
    3. Borrow \(x_b\) and invest \(1+x_b\) in the borrowing-rate tangency portfolio

  • This is true unless the borrowing rate is too high. Then replace 2 and 3 with “hold risky-only frontier portfolios.”