Asset Allocation Based on Cyclical Behavior of Commodities: Regime-Switching Approach

The purpose of the current study was the optimal allocation of assets using the cyclical behavior of commodities. For this purpose, the three commodities of copper, aluminum, and steel, along with gold and foreign exchange rate, were studied and their price data, along with the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) index during the period of January 2, 2009, to September 26, 2020, were analyzed. To examine the data, cluster analysis was used based on regime change behavior and Markovian state transition models were fitted to the data. Homogeneous and heterogeneous portfolios were constructed in terms of regime change behavior in both ascending and descending market regimes and the performance evaluation criteria of the portfolios were calculated. The results showed that portfolio diversification through the assets in the homogeneous cluster led to the best portfolio performance in the descending trend, while diversification by using commodity metals in the heterogeneous cluster might become the best performance in the ascending trend. In general, the results demonstrated that the use of commodities to diversify the portfolio led to better results in portfolio performance.