Will My Risk Parity Strategy Outperform?

Abstract

The authors gauged the return-generating potential of four investment strategies: value weighted, 60/40 fixed mix, and unlevered and levered risk parity. They report three main findings: (1) Even over periods lasting decades, the start and end dates of a backtest can have a material effect on results; (2) transaction costs can reverse ranking, especially if leverage is used; and (3) a statistically significant return premium does not guarantee outperformance over reasonable investment horizons. See comments and response on this article.