Optimal Currency Portfolio with Implied Return Distribution in the Mean-Variance Approach

Abstract

In this study, we construct an optimal currency portfolio using the implied return distribution in the mean-variance approach and examine the performance through a backtest. We estimate the implied expected spot return, implied volatility, and implied correlation from currency option price data, and propose a method of constructing a fully forward-looking optimal currency portfolio without historical data. We implement the backtest from January 2006 to October 2020 on a currency portfolio comprising seven currencies (the Japanese yen, the Swiss franc, the euro, the British pound, the Australian dollar, the New Zealand dollar, and the Canadian dollar) against the US dollar and US-dollar interest rate, and examine the usefulness of the proposed method. We find that the proposed method yields a higher performance than the conventional method in previous studies that use historical data. Furthermore, it is evidenced that the main factor in the performance gap between the proposed and the conventional methods is the high predictive power of the spot return.