Managed portfolios that take less risk when volatility is high produce large alphas, increase Sharpe ratios, and produce large utility gains for mean-variance investors. We document this for the market, value, momentum, profitability, return on equity, and investment factors, as well as the currency carry trade. Volatility timing increases Sharpe ratios because changes in volatility are not offset by proportional changes in expected returns. Our strategy is contrary to conventional wisdom because it takes relatively less risk in recessions yet still earns high average returns. This rules out typical risk-based explanations and is a challenge to structural models of time-varying expected returns.

Biography

Alan Moreira is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Yale University School of Management. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he received his undergraduate degree from the Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ) and his PhD in Financial Economics from the University of Chicago. Dr. Moreira’s research investigates how financial intermediation shapes the real economy and the causes and consequences of fluctuations in uncertainty. His research has been published in the top journals including the Journal of Financial Economics and Journal of Finance. In addition to teaching Risk Management in the MBA program at the Yale School of Management, Dr. Moreira teaches Asset Pricing at the PhD level. In his spare time, he enjoys biking, traveling, and hanging out with family.

Alan Moreira, Assistant Professor of Finance, Yale School of Management

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