In recent years international business activity has been characterized by a dramatic increase in cross-border financial activity. International flows of financial securities have outstripped gains from goods and services trade and, consequently, investment opportunities were no longer constrained by domestic markets. These significant changes gave impetus to the popularity of direct or portfolio investments in foreign countries. Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) is short- or long-term investing activity in corporate stocks and bonds, mutual and hedge funds, government bonds, pension and sovereign funds, various financial derivatives, certificates of deposit, real estate investment trusts, etc. Foreign portfolio investment is relatively liquid, mostly depending on the riskiness of the market where securities and other financial assets are held in. Moreover, FPI is the best choice for investors who are not willing to manage direct ownership rights of a foreign company. The benefits of diversification are well perceived by portfolio managers, that many in Continue reading
Portfolio Management
Portfolio Construction Phase in Investment Portfolio Management
Investment portfolio construction refers to the allocation of funds among a variety of financial assets open for investment. Portfolio theory concerns itself with the principles governing such allocation. The objective of the theory is to elaborate the principles in which the risk can be minimized subject to desired level of return on the portfolio or maximize the return, subject to the constraint of a tolerate level of risk. Thus, the basic objective of portfolio management is to maximize yield and minimize risk. The other ancillary objectives are as per the needs of investors, namely: Safety of the investment Stable current returns Appreciation in the value of capital Marketability and Liquidity Minimizing of tax liability. In pursuit of these objectives, the portfolio manager has to set out all the various alternative investment along with their projected return and risk and choose investment with safety the requirement of the individual investor and Continue reading
What is Investment Portfolio?
Meaning of Investment Portfolio A portfolio is a collection of securities. Since it is rarely desirable to invest the entire funds of an individual or an institution in a single security, it is essential that every security be viewed in a portfolio context. An investment portfolio comprising of different types of securities and assets. As the investors acquire different sets of assets of financial nature, such as gold, silver, real estate, buildings, insurance policies, post office certificates, NSC etc., they are making a provision for future. The risk of each of such investments is to be understood before hand. Normally the average householder keeps most of his income in cash or bank deposits and assumes that they are safe and least risky. Little does he realize that they also carry a risk with them — the fear of loss or actual loss or theft and loss of real value of Continue reading
Scope and Objectives of Investment Portfolio Management
Scope of Portfolio Management Portfolio management is a continuous process. It is a dynamic activity. The following are the basic operations of a portfolio management. Monitoring the performance of portfolio by incorporating the latest market conditions. Identification of the investor’s objective, constraints and preferences. Making an evaluation of portfolio income (comparison with targets and achievement). Making revision in the portfolio. Implementation of the strategies in tune with investment objectives. Objectives of Portfolio Management The objective of portfolio management is to invest in securities is securities in such a way that one maximizes one’s returns and minimizes risks in order to achieve one’s investment objective. A good portfolio should have multiple objectives and achieve a sound balance among them. Any one objective should not be given undue importance at the cost of others. Presented below are some important objectives of portfolio management. Stable Current Return: Once investment safety is guaranteed, the Continue reading
Risk-Return Relationship in Investments
The entire scenario of security analysis is built on two concepts of security: Return and risk. The risk and return constitute the framework for taking investment decision. Return from equity comprises dividend and capital appreciation. To earn return on investment, that is, to earn dividend and to get capital appreciation, investment has to be made for some period which in turn implies passage of time. Dealing with the return to be achieved requires estimated of the return on investment over the time period. Risk denotes deviation of actual return from the estimated return. This deviation of actual return from expected return may be on either side — both above and below the expected return. However, investors are more concerned with the downside risk. The risk in holding security deviation of return deviation of dividend and capital appreciation from the expected return may arise due to internal and external forces. That Continue reading
Naïve Diversification of Investment Portfolio
Portfolios may be diversified in a naïve manner, without really applying the principles of Markowitz diversification, which is discussed at length in the next paragraph. Naïve diversification, where securities are selected on a random basis only reduces the risk of a portfolio to a limited extent. When the securities included in such a portfolio number around ten to twelve, the portfolio risk decreases to the level of the systematic risk in the market. It may also be noted that beyond fifteen shares, there is no decrease in the total risk of a portfolio. Before discussing about portfolio diversification process, what the researches of investors and investment analysts have found is to be set out briefly. Firstly, they found that putting all eggs in one basket is bad and most risky. Secondly, there should be adequate diversification of investment into various securities as that will spread the risk and reduce it; Continue reading