A mixed integer linear programming formulation of the optimal mean/Value-at-Risk portfolio problem

Benati and Rizzi [S. Benati, R. Rizzi, A mixed integer linear programming formulation of the optimal mean/Value-at-Risk portfolio problem, European Journal of Operational Research 176 (2007) 423–434], in a recent proposal of two linear integer programming models for portfolio optimization using Value-at-Risk as the measure of risk, claimed that the two counterpart models are equivalent. This note shows that this claim is only partly true. The second model attempts to minimize the probability of the portfolio return falling below a certain threshold instead of minimizing the Value-at-Risk. However, the discontinuity of real-world probability values makes the second model impractical. An alternative model with Value-at-Risk as the objective is thus proposed. 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.