Constraining Time-Varying Factor Betas in a Kalman Model
Summary
This question describes fitting a time-varying multifactor return model with a Kalman filter in R. The example uses a hedge fund return series and two benchmark factors, estimates observation and state variances by maximum likelihood, then filters and smooths the factor loadings over time. It asks whether estimation can impose a constraint requiring the two betas to sum to one.
The example lays out the model setup and estimation workflow, but it does not provide an answer to the constraint question or evidence that the fitted betas should sum to one. A sum-to-one restriction would change the parameterization or optimization constraints and is not implemented in the shown code. The document is therefore useful as a modeling question and reproducible outline, while leaving the main methodological issue unresolved.
Key ideas
- A time-varying factor regression can be represented as a state-space model and estimated with a Kalman filter.
- The example fits a return series against two benchmark indices and estimates variance parameters by maximum likelihood.
- Filtering and smoothing produce time-indexed estimates of each factor loading.
- The code does not impose or explain a constraint that the factor loadings sum to one.
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Full text
# kalman filter for a multifactor model in R
# kalman filter for a multifactor model in R
I am trying to set up a time varying factor model for the purpose of return decomposition via kalman filter.
Following this example and slightly modifying it so as to accommodate for more than one input parameters (i.e S&P 500, Equity L/S index etc) I am getting the betas for the two benchmarks but, as expected, they don't necessarily sum up to 1.
Is there any way to add a constraint during the MLE that the output parameters have to sum up to one?
EDIT...adding the code below, it's basically the same code as in the example with just adding another index and removing the intercept(alpha)
```
library(PerformanceAnalytics, quietly = TRUE, warn.conflicts = FALSE)
data(managers)
# extract HAM1 and SP500 excess returns
HAM1 = 100*(managers[,"HAM1", drop=FALSE] - managers[,"US 3m TR", drop=FALSE])
factor_indices = cbind(100*(managers[,"SP500 TR", drop=FALSE] - managers[,"US 3m TR", drop=FALSE]),100*(managers[,"EDHEC LS EQ", drop=FALSE]))
factor_indices= factor_indices['1997-01-31/']
HAM1 = HAM1['1997-01-31/']
colnames(factor_indices) = c("SP500","EQLS")
# Specifying a set model parameters
s2_v = 1 # Variance of observations
s2_sp = 0.01
s2_eqls = 0.01
# Construct a regression model
tvp.dlm = dlmModReg(X=factor_indices, addInt=FALSE, dV=s2_v, dW=c(s2_sp, s2_eqls))
# looking at the various component
tvp.dlm[c("FF","V","GG","W","m0","C0")]
tvp.dlm[c("JFF","JV","JGG","JW")]
ols.fit = lm(HAM1 ~ factor_indices)
summary(ols.fit)
start.vals = c(1,0.01,0.01)
names(start.vals) = c("lns2_v", "lns2_sp", "lns2_eqls")
# function to build Time Varying Parameter state space model
buildTVP <- function(parm, x.mat){
parm <- exp(parm)
return( dlmModReg(X=x.mat, dV=parm[1],addInt=FALSE, dW=c(parm[2], parm[3])) )
}
# Estimate the model
TVP.mle = dlmMLE(y=HAM1, parm=start.vals, x.mat=factor_indices, build=buildTVP, hessian=T)
# get sd estimates
#se2 <- sqrt(exp(TVP.mle$par))
#names(se2) = c("s_obs", "s_alpha", "s_beta")
#sqrt(se2)
TVP.dlm <- buildTVP(TVP.mle$par, factor_indices)
TVP.f <- dlmFilter(y = HAM1, mod = TVP.dlm)
# Optimal estimates of θ_t given information available at time T.
TVP.s <- dlmSmooth(TVP.f)
# extract smoothed states
sp.s = xts(TVP.s$s[-1,1,drop=FALSE], as.Date(rownames(TVP.s$s[-1,])))
eqls.s = xts(TVP.s$s[-1,2,drop=FALSE], as.Date(rownames(TVP.s$s[-1,])))
colnames(sp.s) = "sp"
colnames(eqls.s) = "eqls"
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