We develop testable hypotheses for utility maximization given risk averse producers based on a general specification of the utility function. This is a direct expansion of the model posed by Pope (1978). Empirical tests using production data with a translog specification indicate that utility...

During the financial downturn of 2008, asset classes that investors traditionally found to have low correlation with U.S. stocks became more highly correlated at the most inopportune time. Post-downturn, investors increasingly looked for alternative assets that offer diversification benefits,...