Empirical Asset Pricing via Machine Learning
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Quant Buffet native backtest IDEEdit and run Quant Buffet Python for Empirical Asset Pricing via Machine Learning in the browser. Results update live with equity, drawdown, and metrics charts. Allowed: backtest.data, backtest.engine, backtest.metrics, numpy, pandas. Define ASSETS and make_on_day(prices). Shortcut: Ctrl+Enter. API docs →
Quant Buffet syntax cheat sheet (copy / insert)
Paste these fragments into the editor. The sandbox rejects QuantConnect, os, and network libraries.
from __future__ import annotations
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
from backtest.data import load_daily_prices
from backtest.engine import EngineConfig, PortfolioEngine
from backtest.metrics import compute_metricsASSETS = ["SPY", "QQQ", "TLT", "GLD", "BIL"]def make_on_day(prices: pd.DataFrame):
cols = [c for c in ASSETS if c in prices.columns]
sma = prices[cols].rolling(200, min_periods=200).mean()
state = {"last": None}
def on_day(engine: PortfolioEngine, dt: pd.Timestamp) -> None:
if sma.loc[dt].isna().all():
return
key = (dt.year, dt.month)
if state["last"] == key:
return
state["last"] = key
long = [
s for s in cols
if pd.notna(prices.at[dt, s]) and pd.notna(sma.at[dt, s])
and prices.at[dt, s] > sma.at[dt, s]
]
weights = {} if not long else {s: 1.0 / len(long) for s in long}
engine.set_target_weights(dt, weights)
ready = sma.dropna(how="all").index.min() if sma.notna().any().any() else None
return on_day, readyengine.set_target_weights(dt, {"SPY": 0.60, "BIL": 0.40})Live backtest performance
Export to your platform
Transform Quant Buffet lab code (ASSETS + make_on_day / PortfolioEngine) into native classes for a third-party IDE — then copy and paste.
# Generated from Quant Buffet → QuantConnect LEAN
# Strategy: Empirical Asset Pricing via Machine Learning
# Detected pattern: Custom / hybrid
# Source uses Quant Buffet lab APIs (ASSETS + make_on_day / PortfolioEngine).
# Review fees, data, and risk before live trading — educational export only.
from AlgorithmImports import *
class QuantBuffetExport(QCAlgorithm):
def Initialize(self):
self.SetStartDate(2010, 1, 1)
self.SetCash(100000)
tickers = ["SPY", "TLT", "GLD", "BIL"]
self.symbols = []
for t in tickers:
if "-" in t: # crypto proxy e.g. BTC-USD
self.symbols.append(self.AddCrypto(t.replace("-USD", ""), Resolution.Daily).Symbol)
else:
self.symbols.append(self.AddEquity(t, Resolution.Daily).Symbol)
self.Schedule.On(
self.DateRules.MonthStart(self.symbols[0]),
self.TimeRules.AfterMarketOpen(self.symbols[0], 30),
self.Rebalance,
)
# Logic: Custom Quant Buffet logic — adapt the signal block to match your lab on_day().
def Rebalance(self):
# Pattern: custom — Custom Quant Buffet logic — adapt the signal block to match your lab on_day().
# Default: equal-weight. Port your make_on_day weights here via SetHoldings.
w = 1.0 / len(self.symbols) if self.symbols else 0.0
for symbol in self.symbols:
self.SetHoldings(symbol, w)
Exported code uses the platform’s native classes and libraries. Install dependencies in your third-party IDE, then run. Validate before live trading.
Academic paper
Meb Faber
- Institut Mines-Télécom Business School
- ?Cambria Investment Management
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1585517

Strategy in a nutshell
The strategy uses machine learning to forecast one-month-ahead excess returns for 71 country stock markets from 1985–2021. Multiple models—including OLS, LASSO, RF, GBRT, and neural networks—predict returns using 88 market characteristics. Markets are ranked monthly, sorted into quintiles, and an equal-weighted long-short hedge portfolio is formed by going long on top-predicted markets and short on the lowest, with monthly rebalancing.
Economic rationale
The strategy’s success stems mainly from market mispricing rather than risk. Limits to arbitrage, illiquidity in small/emerging markets, and behavioral biases create exploitable anomalies. Combining multiple machine learning models enhances prediction stability and captures statistically significant abnormal returns..