RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Quantitative Forecasting Models and Active Diversification for International Bonds JF The Journal of Fixed Income FD Institutional Investor Journals SP 40 OP 51 DO 10.3905/jfi.2002.319332 VO 12 IS 3 A1 Antti Ilmanen A1 Rafey Sayood YR 2002 UL https://pm-research.com/content/12/3/40.abstract AB Extensive empirical evidence documents relatively consistent if modest predictability in excess bond returns and excess currency returns. The theory that active investors' ability to add value on a risk-adjusted basis is proportional to their forecasting skill motivates the authors to extend empirical forecasting models to new sorts of trades-curve steepness positioning, and cross-country spread trading. They test the performance of increasingly complex trading strategies between 1992 and 2002, from using single indicators to predict specific trades, to pooling indicators into one forecasting model for each trade, and then to diversify across several trades. The broad composites produce the best risk-adjusted performance. One can gain an edge from the limited forecastability of returns and magnify this edge through diversification across strategies.