Short-selling Factor in Corporate Bonds
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Quant Buffet native backtest IDEEdit and run Quant Buffet Python for Short-selling Factor in Corporate Bonds 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: Short-selling Factor in Corporate Bonds
# Detected pattern: Momentum rotation
# 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: Hold top 3 by 126-day return; monthly.
def Rebalance(self):
scores = {}
for symbol in self.symbols:
hist = self.History(symbol, 126 + 5, Resolution.Daily)
if hist.empty: continue
close = hist["close"]
if hasattr(close, "unstack"):
close = close.unstack(level=0).iloc[:, 0]
if len(close) < 126 + 1: continue
scores[symbol] = float(close.iloc[-1] / close.iloc[-126 - 1] - 1)
ranked = sorted(scores.items(), key=lambda kv: kv[1], reverse=True)[:3]
for symbol in self.symbols:
self.SetHoldings(symbol, 0)
if ranked:
w = 1.0 / len(ranked)
for symbol, _ in ranked:
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
The Impact of Short Selling in the Cross-Section of Corporate Bond Returns
Desislava Vladimirova; Thomas Markl; Philip Messow
- ?Quoniam Asset Management GmbH
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3940980
Strategy in a nutshell
This strategy targets USD-denominated bonds in the ICE Global High-Yield Index from the Financial, Utility, and Industrial sectors. Short-selling characteristics for both bonds and equities are computed daily, winsorized, and aggregated monthly. Using LASSO regression on an expanding window, the next month’s value-weighted bond returns are predicted. The portfolio goes long on the top 20% of issuers based on predictions, is equally weighted, and rebalanced monthly.
Economic rationale
The strategy assumes heavily shorted assets are likely overvalued. Unlike flow-following strategies, it invests in the least shorted bonds. Utilizing multiple short-selling metrics with LASSO regression addresses multicollinearity and data-driven coefficient selection, improving predictive accuracy and enhancing returns.