Asset Allocation: Analysis of Theory and Practice in the Australian Investment Management Industry

Asset allocation is the decision on how much of the investment portfolio to place in each of the broad asset classes (e.g. cash, fixed interest securities, property, equities). It is a key decision area in the investment management industry, where professional investors manage pooled investments. The present research aims to examine any dichotomy between theory and practice of asset allocation in the Australian investment management industry. Studying asset allocation theory and practice in relation to one another may lead to finding ways to improve both. The present research identifies gaps between theory and practice and the reasons for their existence and make recommendations that may help reduce the gap. It surveys the available body of research on Modern Portfolio Theory from the seminal Markowitz mean-variance formulation to subsequent research strands. The present research utilises a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the level of awareness and usage of asset allocation theories and theory-based methods among investment management industry practitioners.