This paper constructs and compares various total return world stock indices based on daily data. Due to diversification these indices are noticeably similar. A diversification theorem identifies any diversified portfolio as a proxy for the growth optimal portfolio. The paper constructs a...

This paper constructs and compares various total return world stock indices based on daily data. Due to diversification these indices are noticeably similar. A diversification theorem identifies any diversified portfolio as a proxy for the growth optimal portfolio. The paper constructs a...

This paper introduces a benchmark model for financial markets, which is based on the unique characterization of a benchmark portfolio that is chosen to be the growth optimal portfolio. The general structure of risk premia for asset prices and portfolios is derived. Furthermore, the short rate is...

We analyze portfolio strategies which are locally optimal, meaning that they maximize the Sharpe ratio in a general continuous time jump-diffusion framework. These portfolios are characterized explicitly and compared to utility based strategies. We show that in the presence of jumps, maximizing...

This paper proposes an alternative approach to the modeling of the interest rate term structure. It suggests that the total market price for risk is an important factor that has to be modeled carefully. The growth optimal portfolio, which is characterized by this factor, is used as reference...

The paper presents a consistent approach to the modeling of general and specific market risk as defined in regulatory documents. It compares the statistically based beta-factor model with a class of benchmark models that use a broadly based index as major building block for modeling. The...

This paper introduces a benchmark model for financial markets, which is based on the unique characterization of a benchmark portfolio that is chosen to be the growth optimal portfolio. The general structure of risk premia for asset prices and portfolios is derived. Furthermore, the short rate is...

This paper derives a unified framework for portfolio optimization, derivative pricing, financial modeling and risk measurement. It is based on the natural assumption that investors prefer more or less, in the sense that the higher drift is preferred. Each such investor is shown to hold an...

This paper proposes a consistent benchmark approach to price weather derivatives. The growth optimal portfolio to price weather derivatives. The growth optimal portfolio is used as numeraire such that all benchmarked fair price processes are martingales. No measure transformation is needed for...

This paper considers a class of incomplete financial market models with security price processes that exhibit intensity based jumps. The benchmark or numeraire is chosen to be the growth optimal portfolio. Portfolio values, when expressed in units of the benchmark, are local martingales. In...