Performance analysis of investing in Chinese oil paintings based on a hedonic regression model of price index

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to construct a price index for Chinese oil paintings and analyze the financial performance of investing in Chinese oil paintings and its potential for portfolio diversification in Chinese financial markets. Design/methodology/approach A hedonic regression model is applied to construct a semiannual price index for Chinese oil paintings from 2000 to 2014. The CAPM model, downside β and standard portfolio optimization are used for analyzing portfolio diversification. Findings The hedonic regression shows that the majority of hedonic variables, such as dimension, artist’s reputation, living status, medium and auction houses, are statistically significant in estimation. Not only the return from oil painting investments is higher than other equities, but also the β coefficient of the CAPM model and downside β indicate that Chinese oil painting may be a good hedging instrument against stock market risk. Furthermore, the portfolio optimizations under standard assumptions suggest that oil paintings as an alternative investment provide diversification benefit. Originality/value This paper provides a new and comprehensive analysis of characteristics and risks of investing in the Chinese oil paintings.