Half-Kelly Multiplier

Valore Standard

Multiplier = 0.5 (metà del Full Kelly)

Formula

Target Vol = (Sharpe Ratio) × 0.5

Invece di Full Kelly:

Target Vol = Sharpe Ratio × 1.0

Perche 0.5?

Full Kelly problemi: 1. Alta probabilita rovina: 10% chance lose 50% capital (10 anni, SR 0.5) 2. Sensitivity to SR errors: Piccoli errori → large impact 3. Drawdown psicologici: Insostenibili per most traders 4. Bad luck vulnerability: Unlucky streak → wipeout

Half-Kelly benefits: 1. Ruin probability ridotta: ~10% → ~3% 2. Robustezza: Errors in SR less catastrophic 3. Drawdown gestibili: 2× smaller di Full Kelly 4. Still good returns: 75% dei Full Kelly returns

Probability Comparison

SR 0.5, 10 anni:

Multiplier Target Vol Prob Lose 50% Prob Lose 90%
0.25 (Quarter) 12.5% <1% <1%
0.5 (Half) 25% 10% 1.1%
1.0 (Full) 50% 40% 22%
2.0 (Double) 100% 93% 88%

Half-Kelly: Sweet spot tra growth e safety.

Expected Returns

SR 0.5 con diversi multipliers:

Multiplier Vol Target Expected Return
0.25 12.5% ~6%
0.50 25% ~12%
1.00 50% ~25%

Half-Kelly: Metà return di Full Kelly, ma molto meno risk.

Quarter-Kelly (0.25)

Per negative skew strategies:

Target = SR × 0.25

Quando usare: - Option selling - Carry strategies - Any negative skew

Conservative Alternative (0.33)

Alcuni traders usano:

Target = SR × 0.33

Ancora piu conservativo, ma: - Returns ridotti significantly - Forse troppo cauto

Professional Practice

Real-world usage: - Retail: 0.25-0.50 typical - Professional: 0.25-0.50 (!!) - Aggressive: 0.50-0.75 - Reckless: 1.0+

Nessuno serio usa Full Kelly.

Adjustment for Uncertainty

Effective Multiplier = 0.5 × Confidence Factor

Confidence factors: - High confidence (10+ years data, robust): 1.0 - Medium (5 years, some concerns): 0.8 - Low (2-3 years, overfitting suspected): 0.6

Dynamic Kelly

Non raccomandato: Adjusting multiplier based on performance.

Rischio: Meddling - Increase quando winning (overconfidence) - Decrease quando losing (lack faith)

Meglio: Set once, never change.

Concetti Correlati

  • [[Kelly Criterion]] - formula base
  • [[Volatility Targets]] - output del calculation
  • [[Sharpe Ratio]] - input principale
  • [[Skew]] - richiede ulteriore reduction