Sep 15, 2009
Q & A
How useful was Monte Carlo-type analysis in preparing for the recent downturn in the economy and stock market? Is there an alternative approach that investors should consider in an effort to address the uncertainty of future returns?
EFF: Monte Carlo analysis is overkill here. All one really needs is good historical perspective on the volatility of volatility. Our white paper, "How Unusual Was the Stock Market of 2008?", is a good start.
KRF: Monte Carlo analysis is often worse than overkill because it gives many users a false sense of precision. If used right, it can provide some perspective about the payoff on a long-term investment. Investors who do Monte Carlo simulations, however, often assume returns are drawn from a normal distribution with a constant volatility. In fact, a normal distribution produces far fewer extreme returns than we see in the market. Moreover, it is easy to forget that the inputs for the analysis - the estimated expected returns, variances, and covariances - are almost certainly grossly imprecise.
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ABOUT FAMA AND FRENCH
Eugene F. Fama
The Robert R.
McCormick Distinguished
Service Professor of
Finance at the University
of Chicago Booth School
of Business
Kenneth R. French
The Carl E. and Catherine
M. Heidt Professor of
Finance at the Tuck
School of Business at
Dartmouth College
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Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority (FRN: 150100), is registered in England and Wales under Company No. 02569601 and VAT No. 577327607. The registered office address of Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. is 7 Down Street, London, W1J 7AJ, United Kingdom. Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dimensional Fund Advisors.