The Risk-Return Tradeoff in a Hedged, Client Driven Trading Portfolio

Abstract: In post-financial crisis times, new legislation in combination with banks’ changed risk aversion has to a great extent changed the proprietary trading to client driven trading, i.e. market making or client facilitation. This type of trading complicates the risk-return dynamics, as the goal is often to minimize risk and achieve profitable commission revenues. This thesis aims to disclose the risk-return tradeoff in a client driven trading environment. This is done by investigating the conditional relation between risk and realized return. As opposed from many studies which proxy the risk with beta or variance, I use a delta-gamma Value at Risk model as the risk proxy, which I also backtest. For the return proxy, I use three different measures; P&L, commission revenues and the sum of these two. A positive tradeoff exists if (i) the return is equally negatively dependent on the risk if the ex post return is negative, as it is positively dependent on the risk if the ex post return is positive and (ii) the average return is significantly positive. For three different client driven trading portfolios tested, I found a positive risk-return tradeoff in one portfolio, between the P&L plus commission revenues and the Value at Risk. However, since a symmetrical conditional relationship between risk and P&L plus commission revenues was found in all portfolios, and the average return was positive, the positive tradeoff would have existed if the average return would have been significantly positive. On the other hand, one could argue that the tradeoff exists, but is not significant. No relation between risk and commission revenues was found. A probable cause to this is the hedging strategies, which would be an interesting topic for further research.