Time-Invariance Coefficients Tests with the Adaptive Multi-Factor Model

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to test the time-invariance of the beta coefficients estimated by the Adaptive Multi-Factor (AMF) model. The AMF model is implied by the generalized arbitrage pricing theory (GAPT), which implies constant beta coefficients. The AMF model utilizes a Groupwise Interpretable Basis Selection (GIBS) algorithm to identify the relevant factors from among all traded ETFs. We compare the AMF model with the Fama-French 5-factor (FF5) model. We show that for nearly all time periods with length less than 6 years, the beta coefficients are time-invariant for the AMF model, but not for the FF5 model. This implies that the AMF model with a rolling window (such as 5 years) is more consistent with realized asset returns than is the FF5 model.

Keywords: Asset pricing, Adaptive Multi-Factor model, GIBS algorithm, high-dimensional statistics, machine learning.

JEL Classification: C10, G10