Interpretable Machine Learning for Diversified Portfolio Construction
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Quant Buffet native backtest IDEEdit and run Quant Buffet Python for Interpretable Machine Learning for Diversified Portfolio Construction 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
Accent = strategy · dashed grey = buy-and-hold benchmark
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: Interpretable Machine Learning for Diversified Portfolio Construction
# 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
Interpretable Machine Learning for Diversified Portfolio Construction
Markus Jaeger; Stephan Krügel; Dimitri Marinelli; Jochen Papenbrock; Peter Schwendner
ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Teaser
Allocate inversely to asset volatility so risk contributions are roughly equal. Universe: GLD, SLV, DBC, GSG, USO, UNG, DBA. Parameters: vol_lookback=63; rebalance=monthly. Rebalanced on the engine's template schedule with 5 bps commission and 2 bps slippage. Because the paper's primary signal (ML, sentiment, or proprietary data) is not available in our public ETF engine, this draft uses a liquid ETF rule that preserves the paper's economic theme rather than a bit-exact replication.
Strategy in a nutshell
In this article, the authors construct a pipeline to benchmark hierarchical risk parity (HRP) relative to equal risk contribution (ERC) as examples of diversification strategies allocating to liquid multi-asset futures markets with dynamic leverage (volatility target). The authors use interpretable machine learning concepts (explainable AI) to compare the robustness of the strategies and to back out implicit rules for decision-making. The empirical dataset consists of 17 equity index, government bond, and commodity futures markets across 20 years. The two strategies are back tested for the empirical dataset and for about 100,000 bootstrapped datasets. XGBoost is used to regress the Calmar ratio spread between the two strategies against features of the bootstrapped datasets. Compared to ERC
Economic rationale
Equalizing risk contributions avoids concentration in the noisiest assets and stabilizes multi-asset drawdowns. Related evidence from “Interpretable Machine Learning for Diversified Portfolio Construction”: In this article, the authors construct a pipeline to benchmark hierarchical risk parity (HRP) relative to equal risk contribution (ERC) as examples of diversification strategies allocating to liquid multi-asset futures markets with dynamic leverage (volatility target). The authors use interpretable machine learning concepts (explainable AI) to compare the robustness of the strategies and to back out implicit rules for decision-making. The empirical dataset consists of 17 equity index, government