Performance replication of the Spot Energy Index with optimal equity portfolio selection: Evidence from the UK, US and Brazilian markets

This paper reproduces the performance of a geometric average Spot Energy Index by investing only in a subset of stocks from the Dow Jones Composite Average, the FTSE 100 and Bovespa Composite indexes, and in two pools that include only energy-sector stocks from the US and the UK respectively. Daily data are used and the index-tracking problem for passive investment is addressed with two evolutionary algorithms - the differential evolution algorithm and the genetic algorithm. The performance of the suggested investment strategy is tested under three different scenarios: buy-and-hold, quarterly and monthly rebalancing, accounting for transaction costs where necessary. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.