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Performance Control And Risk Calibration In The Black-Litterman Model, Chyng Wen Tee, Shirley Huang, Kian Guan Lim

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School of Business

The authors show that risk aversion and prior estimation error input parameters of the Black-Litterman model that are arbitrarily fixed in existing practices should instead be carefully calibrated because they are related to the Sharpe performance ratio and Value at Risk or tail risk of the active portfolio. A related important insight is that these parameters are not entirely exogenous but are connected closely to the portfolio manager's inputs of subjective expected returns, as well as the degree of confidence over these subjective beliefs. The value of τ is closer to zero if the manager believes the initial estimates based …