Return and Value at Risk using the Dirichlet Process
Mahmoud Zarepour, Thierry Bédard, André Dabrowski · Applied Mathematical Finance · 2008
There exists a wide variety of models for return, and the chosen model determines the tool required to calculate the value at risk (VaR). This paper introduces an alternative methodology to model‐based simulation by using a Monte Carlo simulation of the Dirichlet process. The model is constructed in a Bayesian framework, using properties initially described by Ferguson. A notable advantage of this model is that, on average, the random draws are sampled from a mixed distribution that consists of a prior guess by an expert and the empirical process based on a random sample of historical asset returns. The method is relatively automatic and similar to machine learning tools, e.g. the estimate is updated as new data arrive.