Truth in Mutual Fund Advertising: Evidence on Future Performance and Fund Flows

We examine a sample of 294 mutual funds that are advertised in Barron's or Money magazine. The preadvertisement performance of these funds is significantly higher than that of the benchmarks. We test whether the sponsors select funds to signal continued superior performance or they use the past superior performance to attract more money into the funds. Our analysis shows that there is no superior performance in the postadvertisement period. Thus, the results do not support the signaling hypothesis. On the other hand, we find that the advertised funds attract significantly more money in comparison with a group of control funds.     

Changing Names with Style: Mutual Fund Name Changes and Their Effects on Fund Flows

We examine whether mutual funds change their names to take advantage of current hot investment styles, and what effects these name changes have on inflows to the funds, and to the funds' subsequent returns. We find that the year after a fund changes its name to reflect a current hot style, the fund experiences an average cumulative abnormal flow of 28%, with no improvement in performance. The increase in flows is similar across funds whose holdings match the style implied by their new name and those whose holdings do not, suggesting that investors are irrationally influenced by cosmetic effects.     

Mutual Fund Family Size and Mutual Fund Performance: The Role of Regulatory Changes

We examine whether the previously documented positive association between fund family size and fund performance is affected by significant regulatory changes (i.e., Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD), the Global Settlement (GS), and increased scrutiny as a result of trading scandals) that have occurred in the last decade. Using Reg FD as a beginning point for these structural changes, we find that, while fund family size was positively associated with fund performance in the period prior to the regulatory changes, this advantage is significantly weaker in the period subsequent to the regulatory changes. Consistent with the weakened advantage of fund family size in fund performance, we find that the greater stock‐picking skill of larger fund families, measured using the earnings announcement returns of the stocks they trade, also weakened subsequent to the regulatory changes. Using narrower event windows around the regulatory changes, we find that the previously documented superior return of large fund families was partly attributable to selective disclosure. We also find that fund families implicated in the trading scandals experienced a decline in their performance during the scandal period. Finally, we examine the role of large investment banks in providing an advantage to large fund families. Family size was positively associated with the extent to which funds traded in the same direction as forecast revisions by analysts from large investment banks in the period prior to Reg FD and the GS and this association declined significantly after the two regulatory events.     

Running From a Bear: How Poor Stock Market Performance Affects the Determinants of Mutual Fund Flows

Abstract:  Using a proprietary data set to study how past performance affects the determinants of mutual fund flows for a sample of load fund investors, I provide evidence that the determinants of fund flow depend on market conditions for both redemptions and purchases. Specifically, I show that, for redemptions, relative performance and risk adjusted performance are important determinants during a period of record flows into mutual funds. Conversely, during a period of poor performance, absolute performance becomes much more important and relative performance and risk adjusted performance become less important. For purchases, absolute performance, risk adjusted performance, and most relative performance measures become more important during the bear market.     

基金流量与基金投资行为——基于动态面板数据模型的实证研究

本文通过引入基金流量变量,对中国证券投资基金是否稳定市场这一争议性命题进行解析,挖掘中国基金经理投资行为"异质性"背后的基金申赎行为因素,试图从基金流量引发基金经理资产配置动态调整的视角对中国证券投资基金"是否行为理性"这一重要命题进行重新诠释。在实证过程中,本文构建动态面板模型对2006～2010年股票型开放式基金季度数据进行估计,检验结果表明我国证券投资基金投资行为受到基金流量的显著影响,基金持有人行为对基金经理投资行为具有冲击效应,并直接影响到基金经理的策略选择和资产组合调整。结合研究结论,本文提出推进中国版"401K"计划,优化基金持有人结构,合理引导基金投资者行为,减小基金异常申赎行为对市场波动性的传递效应等政策建议。     

A First Look at the Accuracy of the CRSP Mutual Fund Database and a Comparison of the CRSP and Morningstar Mutual Fund Databases

This paper examines problems in the CRSP Survivor Bias Free U.S. Mutual Fund Database (CRSP, 1998) and compares returns contained in it to those in Morningstar. The CRSP database has an omission bias that has the same effects as survivorship bias. Although all mutual funds are listed in CRSP, return data is missing for many and the characteristics of these funds differ from the populations. The CRSP return data is biased upward and merger months are inaccurately recorded about half the time. Differences in returns in Morningstar and CRSP are a problem for older data and small funds.     

Mutual Fund Performance: Evidence from the UK

This paper uses a large sample containing the complete return histories of 2300 UK open-ended mutual funds over a 23-year period to measure fund performance. We find some evidence of underperformance on a risk-adjusted basis by the average fund manager, persistence of performance and the existence of a substantial survivor bias. Similar findings have been reported for US equity mutual funds. New findings not previously documented for other markets include evidence that mutual fund performance varies substantially across different asset categories, especially foreign asset categories. We also identify some new patterns in performance related to the funds' distance from their inception and termination dates: underperformance intensifies as the fund termination date approaches, while, in contrast, there is some evidence that funds (weakly) outperform during their first year of existence.     

The Components of Mutual Fund Fees

Several research studies have found that mutual fund expense ratios decline as funds get larger. This paper decomposes the annual expense ratios of actively managed domestic equity funds into their component fees. Most of the observed decline in total expense ratios comes from the small fees paid to outside service providers and the large majority of this decline occurs for the smallest one third of funds. The largest component of the expense ratio, advisory fees, is essentially constant for larger funds. The second largest component, marketing fees, increases as fund assets grow.     

公司型基金:中国基金业发展的战略选择

公司型基金现已成为世界基金组织模式的主流形式，而我国到目前为止全是单一的契约型基金。相对于契约型基金的固有缺陷而言，公司型基金有契约型基金无可比拟的制度优势。基于此，公司型基金应该成为我国未来基金业发展的主要政策取向。为此，必须在法律上明确界定公司型基金的法律性质以及处理好公司型基金与契约型基金的税负均衡问题。     

Good Stewards, Cheap Talkers, or Family Men? The Impact of Mutual Fund Closures on Fund Managers, Flows, Fees, and Performance

We examine a sample of 125 equity mutual funds that closed tonew investment between 1993 and 2004. We find that funds closefollowing a period of superior performance and abnormal fundinflows. Fund managers raise their fees when they close to compensatemanagers for losses in income due to the restrictions in sizeimposed by the fund closure decision. Managers reopen when fundsize declines. However, they do not earn superior returns afterreopening, suggesting that the fund closure decision does notprovide information about superior fund managers. (JEL G14,G23)     

我国基金经理投资行为实证研究

我国证券市场快速发展,推动了基金业的迅猛增长,随着基金数量的增多,作为管理基金的基金经理的作用和地位正在迅速上升。基金经理的投资决策行为势必会影响到基金的业绩,如何综合评价基金经理的投资行为,是摆在我们面前的一大课题。本文在对国内外学者有关基金经理投资行为文献评析的基础上,提出了投资行为度的概念,并运用多元回归计量方法和突变评价法对我国基金经理的投资风格、投资策略、投资绩效、择股时机选择能力、风险管理能力以及个人行为模式和基金业绩之间的关系等进行了实证检验,得出了一些有意义的结论。最后从行为金融理论角度分析了中国证券投资基金经理行为偏离的根本原因,并提出相应的政策建议。     

美国共同基金的新发展

目前美国基金的平均规模远远高于全球的平均水平,今后的很长一段时间内,美国的基金业将依旧发挥重要的导向作用。     

开放式基金投资策略浅谈

随着开放式基金在我国的日益发展,开放式基金的投资策略问题显得尤为重要.本文首先介绍基金投资策略的定义与分类,进而分析开放式基金投资品种的选择.开放式基金品种的选择又可分为不同基金品种的选择和旧种基金的选择.最后.探讨了开放式的基金投资时机和投资方式问题.     

从委托-代理理论看基金利益输送问题

本文认为在基金运作中存在典型的委托一代理关系,据此作者建立了一个三阶段的模型,指出正是在激励约束方面存在的不足导致了这一问题的出现,并具体提出了相关改进措施.     

Emerging Stars and Developed Neighbors: The Effects of Development Imbalance and Political Shocks on Mutual Fund Investments in China

This paper examines the influence of regional economic development on mutual funds investment decisions. Using fund holdings from 2003 to 2008, we find that Chinese mutual funds that collectively reside in the developed coastal region have the ability to select “star” firms from neighboring inland areas and overweight them in their portfolios. However, they present a clear local bias within the coastal region. Such investment behavior is robust to political interventions. In particular, changes in political climate make mutual funds seek fundamentals like growth prospects and diversification benefits. Overall, economic and political factors significantly influence mutual funds investment decisions in emerging China.     

证券投资基金与公司绩效关系研究——基于中国A股上市公司的证据

机构投资者倾向于长期投资和价值投资,可以对上市公司的治理发挥积极作用,从而改善公司绩效。在这种观点的影响下,近年来政府监管部门出台了一系列促进机构投资者发展的政策和措施,中国证券投资基金也出现了大规模增长,那么证券投资基金与上市公司绩效的关系究竟如何是值得我们关注的问题,本文运用面板数据的固定效应模型分析证券投资基金持股比例与公司绩效的关系,并对结果进行稳健型检验。     

The Determinants and Implications of Mutual Fund Cash Holdings: Theory and Evidence

In this article, I examine the determinants and implications of equity mutual fund cash holdings. In cross-sectional tests, I find evidence generally supportive of a static trade-off model developed in the article. In particular, small-cap funds and funds with more-volatile fund flows hold more cash. However, I do not find that fund managers with better stock-picking skills hold less cash. Aggregate cash holdings by equity mutual funds are persistent and positively related to lagged aggregate fund flows. Aggregate cash holdings do not forecast future market returns, suggesting that equity funds as a whole do not have market timing skills.     

The Introduction of Choice of Superannuation Fund: Results to Date

Commonwealth legislation providing for choice of superannuation fund has now been in operation since 1 July 2005. This paper explores the extent to which employees have exercised choice in the period immediately following the implementation of fund choice. The data available suggest that choice of fund has had only a modest impact. However, while community awareness of superannuation has increased and the level of member attachment to the main superannuation fund has increased, a downturn in investment returns, and subsequently in member sentiment, could have a significant impact on member preparedness to choose another fund     

对冲基金新特点及其对中国资本市场的影响

1997年亚洲金融危机以后,由于人们普遍认为对冲基金是这次危机的罪魁祸首,对冲基金格外受到各国的关注。近几年来,对冲基金表现出了新的特点,随着中国对外开放的扩大,对冲基金必然要影响中国的资本市场。近期看,对冲基金对中国的资本市场不会有太大的影响;从长远看,对冲基金进入中国资本市场是迟早的事情。而对冲基金的运作模式,将对我国金融体制改革的深化和资本市场的发展起到很好的借鉴作用。