Theses

Want to write your thesis with us? Good.

For your thesis, we offer topics in the fields of:

  • (Empirical) Asset Pricing
  • Portfolio Theory

In general, you can also bring in your own topic proposal in the finance fields presented above (e.g. in case of writing an external thesis). Please discuss with your supervisor if the topic is a good fit for a thesis.

As prerequisites for working on one of our topics, you should feel comfortable with the content of relevant lectures and - most importantly - be motivated to take a deep dive into the chosen topic. When writing your Master's Thesis, knowledge of empirical methods as well as data analysis is useful. We also recommend participating in one of our seminar courses.  

If you're interested in writing your thesis at our department, please reach out directly to your supervisor of choice.  

 

We encourage students writing an outstanding thesis to apply for prices / awards and are happy to offer support. 

 

Supervised Theses

Please find below selected theses supervised in the past. Topics can be worked on in German or English language. 

 

Bachelor Theses Master's Theses
  • Betting against Beta
  • The size premium: Is it there?
  • Predictability of stock returns
  • Absolute Strength Momentum Strategies
  • Optimal versus Naive Portfolio Strategies: How inefficient is 1/N?
  • The Conditional CAPM and the Cross-Section of Expected Returns
  • Optimal Portfolios with a VaR-constraint
  • Defensive Momentum Strategies
  • Estimation of the intertemporal consumption elasticity from analysts’ forecasts
  • Stock return predictability with time-varying coefficients
  • The relation between past and future returns: A machine learning approach
  • The Q-factor model and the cross-section of expected returns
  • The impact of wage rigidity on the value premium
  • Asset pricing under ambiguity
  • Macroeconomic uncertainty and the cross-section of asset returns
  • Unspanned Stochastic Volatility in Commodity Markets
  • Consumption-based cross-sectional asset pricing
  • Asset pricing under parameter uncertainty
  • Variance risk premia in fixed income markets
  • An empirical analysis of the conditional CAPM

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