Assessing and valuing the nonlinear structure of hedge fund returns
提出统计方法检验对冲基金收益与基准组合的非线性关系，通过期权组合近似收益并测试非线性特征，发现仅少数策略为投资者创造显著价值。
Several studies have put forward that hedge fund returns exhibit a nonlinear relationship with equity market returns, captured either through constructed portfolios of traded options or piece-wise linear regressions. This paper provides a statistical methodology to unveil such nonlinear features with respect to returns on benchmark risk portfolios. We estimate a portfolio of options that best approximates the returns of a given hedge fund, account for this search in the statistical testing of the nonlinearity, and provide a reliable test for a positive valuation of the fund. We find that not all fund categories exhibit significant nonlinearities, and that only a few strategies provide significant value to investors. Our methodology helps identify individual funds that provide value in an otherwise poorly performing category. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.