Seventy years after Markowitz, portfolio optimization is still an open problem — not because the math is unsettled, but because estimation error eats the theoretical gains. The literature here spans classical mean-variance and its regularized descendants, risk parity and volatility targeting, Black-Litterman-style view blending, and newer machine-learning approaches to covariance estimation and end-to-end allocation.
The recurring finding worth internalizing: naive equal-weight portfolios are shockingly hard to beat out of sample, so a paper’s value usually lies in how honestly it handles estimation risk — shrinkage, robust optimization, turnover penalties — rather than in the elegance of its objective function. The ranking below favors papers that test allocations on real data with realistic constraints.
Related hubs: Factor Investing & Asset Pricing, Risk Management, Machine Learning for Forecasting.
We develop a framework to theoretically and empirically analyze the fluctuations of the aggregate stock market. Households allocate capital to institutions, whi
Algorithmic stablecoins promise decentralized monetary stability by maintaining a target peg through programmatic reserve management. Yet, their reserve controllers remain vulnerable to regime-blind optimization, calibrating risk parameters on fair-weather data while ignoring tail events that precip
The rough Bergomi (rBergomi) model, characterised by its roughness parameter $H$, has been shown to exhibit multiscaling behaviour as $H$ approaches zero. Multiscaling has profound implications for financial modelling: it affects extreme risk estimation, influences optimal portfolio allocation acros
In this paper, we show that interventionally robust optimization problems in causal models are continuous under the $G$-causal Wasserstein distance, but may be discontinuous under the standard Wasserstein distance. This highlights the importance of using generative models that respect the causal str
Robust optimization provides a principled framework for decision-making under uncertainty, with broad applications in finance, engineering, and operations research. In portfolio optimization, uncertainty in expected returns and covariances demands methods that mitigate estimation error, parameter in
Machine learning (ML) methods have been successfully employed in identifying variables that can predict the equity premium of individual stocks. In this paper, we investigate if ML can also be helpful in selecting variables relevant for optimal portfolio choice. To address this question, we paramete
In this article, we develop a kernel-based framework for constructing dynamic, pathdependent trading strategies under a mean-variance optimisation criterion. Building on the theoretical results of (Muca Cirone and Salvi, 2025), we parameterise trading strategies as functions in a reproducing kernel
We introduce the Pontryagin-Guided Direct Policy Optimization (PG-DPO) framework for high-dimensional continuous-time portfolio choice. Our approach combines Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle (PMP) with backpropagation through time (BPTT) to directly inform neural network-based policy learning, enablin
We develop a portfolio allocation framework that leverages deep learning techniques to address challenges arising from high-dimensional, non-stationary, and low-signal-to-noise market information. Our approach includes a dynamic embedding method that reduces the non-stationary, high-dimensional stat
Considering the continuous-time Mean-Variance (MV) portfolio optimization problem, we study a regime-switching market setting and apply reinforcement learning (RL) techniques to assist informed exploration within the control space. We introduce and solve the Exploratory Mean Variance with Regime Swi
Portfolio optimisation is essential in quantitative investing, but its implementation faces several practical difficulties. One particular challenge is converting optimal portfolio weights into real-life trades in the presence of realistic features, such as transaction costs and integral lots. This
This work discusses the benefits of constrained portfolio turnover strategies for small to medium-sized portfolios. We propose a dynamic multi-period model that aims to minimize transaction costs and maximize terminal wealth levels whilst adhering to strict portfolio turnover constraints. Our result
In this paper, we present an integrated approach to portfolio construction and optimization, leveraging high-performance computing capabilities. We first explore diverse pairings of generative model forecasts and objective functions used for portfolio optimization, which are evaluated using performa
Optimization software enables the solution of problems with millions of variables and associated parameters. These parameters are, however, often uncertain and represented with an analytical description of the parameter’s distribution or with some form of sample. With large numbers of such parameter
Mean-variance analysis is widely used in portfolio management to identify the best portfolio that makes an optimal trade-off between expected return and volatility. Yet, this method has its limitations, notably its vulnerability to estimation errors and its reliance on historical data. While shrinka
Identifying companies with similar profiles is a core task in finance with a wide range of applications in portfolio construction, asset pricing and risk attribution. When a rigorous definition of similarity is lacking, financial analysts usually resort to ’traditional’ industry classifications such
The analysis of market correlations is crucial for optimal portfolio selection of correlated assets, but their memory effects have often been neglected. In this work, we analyse the mean market correlation of the S&P500 which corresponds to the main market mode in principle component analysis. We fi
A model among many may only be best under certain states of the world. Switching from a model to another can also be costly. Finding a procedure to dynamically choose a model in these circumstances requires to solve a complex estimation procedure and a dynamic programming problem. A Reinforcement le
We introduce a unified framework for rapid, large-scale portfolio optimization that incorporates both shrinkage and regularization techniques. This framework addresses multiple objectives, including minimum variance, mean-variance, and the maximum Sharpe ratio, and also adapts to various portfolio w
Dynamic-weight AMMs (aka Temporal Function Market Makers, TFMMs) implement algorithmic asset allocation, analogous to index or smart beta funds, by continuously updating pools’ weights. A strategy updates target weights over time, and arbitrageurs trade the pool back toward those weights. This creat
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