The courses “Active Portfolio Management I (APMI)” and “Active Portfolio Management II (APM II)” are closely linked and students should take both. Both courses together cover the main concepts underlying modern active portfolio management. Active portfolio management can be delivered via two dimensions: (i) via active asset allocation and (ii) via security selection. The course APM I mainly covers active asset allocation. The main focus will be on stocks, bonds and commodities. After a review of the concept of market efficiency, we will develop models to analyze and forecast the risk premia for each of the above asset classes. In a further step, we will develop a framework allowing the portfolio manager to include his/her return and risk expectations into an optimization framework. The basic model we will use was originally developed by Black and Litterman. We will apply this approach empirically, using Excel or R. We will then discuss issues that arise when investors delegate the management of their portfolios to external managers. Finally, we will cover concepts for responsible investing.

Students who have successfully completed this class will have acquired the following skills:

• understand the role and possibility of active portfolio management within the framework of modern capital market theory.

After completing this class the student will have the ability to:

• distinguish between asset allocation and security selection in active portfolio management
• know about return and risk from historical records and its implications for forecasts
• appreciate the interplay between risk aversion and optimal capital allocation
• associate primary theories of return drivers and asset pricing models with the different asset classes
• master the Black-Litterman method to incorporate views in an optimized asset class allocation
• understand agency problems in delegated asset management

Moreover, this course will contribute to the students’ ability to:

• analyze and solve complex portfolio problems individually and as a member of a group and to develop solutions by functioning as a valuable and cooperative team member
• use Excel or R for portfolio optimization
• summarize and professionally present solutions in class
• adequately communicate and participate in in-class discussions
• solve and present a case study in small groups

Attendance is mandatory! Students may miss no more than 2 classes.

This course consists of a mix of regular lectures, class room discussions and analyses of assignments. The lectures will be largely based on the instructor’s lecture notes and selected additional readings. In class, the theoretical frameworks will be introduced to the students. There will be assignments to practice important concepts developed during the lectures. The assignments will involve quantitative analyses using Excel or R. Students will be allowed to work in small groups. Solutions to these assignments must be uploaded to Learn@WU and presented in class.

• Case study (30%): Students have to hand in a solution to a case study and prepare a presentation in groups; deadline: to be uploaded to Learn@WU including the names of each group member no later than November 10, 9:00 am; presentations: November 12^th.
• Computational assignment (20%): Students have to solve a portfolio problem with Microsoft Excel or R; deadline: to be uploaded to Learn@WU including the names of each group by November 30, 11:59 pm. 
• Final Exam (40%): The final exam will be held on November 21.
• In-class participation (10% ): Students can earn up to 10% by actively participating in the class discussion by, for example, raising good questions, or giving a good answer to questions raised by the instructor or other students in class. There can also be closed-book online quizzes which have to be taken from the classroom. 

Students need at least 50% in total (exam + case study + assignment + in-class participation) to pass the course.

• Completion of the assessment phase

• Successful completion of 8 courses within the subject "GrundlagenFinanzwirtschaft, Rechnungswesen und Steuern" ("Basics in Finance,Accounting and Taxes")

• Allocation to the elective

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otto.randl@wu.ac.at

Readings:

• Bodie, Z., Kane, A., & Marcus, A. (2023). Investments (13th edition). McGraw-Hill.
  Previous (not too old) or global editions are fine.

Additional readings:

• Ang, Andrew, Asset Management (2014). A Systematic Approach to Factor Investing (1^st edition). Oxford University Press

Additional material and papers will be uploaded to Learn@WU