Investments 35000 Dimensional Fund Advisors


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Investments 35000 Dimensional Fund Advisors


The DFA case is in your course packet. You may prepare this assignment in groups (preferably 4 or less). We will discuss the case for the first half of class 8. Your group will hand in a write-up of the case addressing the questions. You do not have to answer all of the questions or answer them one by one in a list type format. What I would like instead is for you to provide a coherent write-up and recommendation which addresses these general issues. The questions I have provided are a general guideline of the issues I want you to address.

Note: There are no correct answers here. You will be graded on your ability to justify the position you take and for thoroughness in thinking about the issues, using the concepts you have learned throughout the course. For our discussion in class, you should be prepared to discuss these issues and to argue your case. I will try to confuse you and get you to fight amongst yourselves.

Address the following questions pertaining to the DFA case: Limit your responses to 5 pages total (excluding supplementary graphs or tables you wish to include).

1. Describe the investment strategy employed by DFA.
2. Does DFA consider itself an active or passive manager?
  • What do we mean by active versus passive?
  • What aspects of DFAs strategy are active? What aspects are passive?
3. Who are DFAs clients, and what are their concerns?
  • What new clients is DFA trying to serve, and what are some of the new issues DFA will face in meeting these clients needs?
4. Identify the sources of value DFA is providing its investors.
5. What level of market efficiency does DFA accept? Why this level and not any other?
6. Does DFA believe in fundamental analysis? Why or why not?
7. Explain the DFA small and value stock strategies in both rational and irrational/behavioral terms.


  • What do efficient markets enthusiasts say about the performance of small stocks over large ones, and the performance of high book to market equity (BE/ME) or value stocks over low BE/ME or growth stocks. (e.g., how is this consistent with market efficiency?)
  • How do behavioralists view the size and value premia?
  • What does DFA believe?


8. What are some of the trading costs associated with small, value stocks?
  • How does DFA manage these potential trading frictions?
9. Explain the Fama and French three factor model, and the rational argument behind it.
  • Why does DFA not utilize macroeconomic variables to explain risk and design investment products? (why do you think? Make a convincing argument as a DFA representative)
10. If DFA believes its size and BE/ME strategies are tied to systematic risk, then how do they justify these strategies as sound investments for their clients? Specifically, if
DFA believes in efficient markets, how do they justify their existence?
11. Since the mid 1980s, small stocks have underperformed large stocks. Is this an embarrassment to DFA? Why or why not?


  • Does this indicate that rational or behavioral explanations for size are more likely? (explain)
  • Based on this evidence, should DFA abandon its small stock strategy?
  • What if small stocks continue to underperform large stocks for another decade. Should DFA abandon their size strategy at that point? 
  • What would you tell your clients about the poor performance of the size strategy?


12. Likewise, throughout the 1990s, growth stocks outperformed value stocks. Hence, should DFA reconsider its current strategy?
  • What if growth continues to outperform value over the next five years. Would your answer change?
  • Again, how would you explain the poor performance of the fund to your clients?
13. If large, growth stocks outperform small, value stocks over the next 5 years would this be an embarrassment to the DFA strategy? What might Gene Fama have to say about this?

14. What future strategies would you recommend DFA pursue? Make a specific recom mendation, and justify it.


  • Should they abandon/modify/maintain their current size and value strategies?
  • Should they explore other interesting anomalies and adopt similar strategies?


Keep in mind DFAs objectives and beliefs when making these recommendations. Pretend you have to convince Gene Fama.

I have posted monthly returns on 25 size and BE/ME portfolios as well as the three Fama and French factors from July, 1926 to December, 2004 on my website. I have also included the monthly returns on one month treasury bills for your reference. You can use (or not use) the data in anyway you see fit. The 25 portfolios sorted on size and BE/ME represent the full spectrum of size and value sectors in the economy. The Fama-French factors represent the three-factor model designed to explain the returns associated with size and value.

You will get bonus points for attempting to play with the data” provided in the spreadsheets (but you do not have to). In addition, you are free to use any information or data from the case to justify your answers to the questions.

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