Actively managed ETFs vs actively managed mutual funds

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Eli Sherrill ◽  
Kate Upton

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study if actively managed exchange-traded funds (AMETFs) and actively managed mutual funds (AMMFs) are complements or substitutes. It also tests if there are tax or liquidity clientele effects. Design/methodology/approach The study investigates the relation between individual AMMF flows and aggregate AMETF flows as well as individual AMETF flows and aggregate AMMF flows. A 2013 tax change is used to analyze if a tax clientele effect exists between the AMETF and AMMF markets. The authors use differences in investor groups for institutional vs retail fund share classes to test for liquidity clientele effects. Findings The authors find that equity and mixed AMETFs and AMMFs are substitutes, although not perfect substitutes. Taxation-related differences between the two products create a clientele effect for fixed income and mixed funds where tax-sensitive investors are more likely to substitute AMETFs for AMMFs surrounding tax increases. There is weak evidence that institutional investors may prefer AMETFs more than retail investors because of their enhanced liquidity. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate the flow relation between AMETFs and AMMFs. The fast-paced growth of the AMETF area coupled with the substitutability between the two products and tax advantages of AMETFs has the capability to gain significant market share from AMMFs in the future.

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Oehler ◽  
Andreas Höfer ◽  
Matthias Horn ◽  
Stefan Wendt

Purpose Retail investors use information provided by mutual fund rating agencies to make investment decisions. This paper aims to examine whether the ratings provide useful information to retail investors by analyzing the rating migration and closure risk of mutual funds that received Morningstar’s mutual fund ratings from 2005 to 2012. Design/methodology/approach The research design differentiates between buy-and-hold investment strategies and dynamic investment strategies. To assess the information content of mutual fund ratings for buy-and-hold investment strategies, the rating migration based on the first and the last mutual fund rating during two-, four-, six- and eight-year horizons is determined. With respect to dynamic investment strategies, the number of rating changes per fund on a monthly basis during these time horizons is calculated. Findings Mutual fund rating persistence is low or even inexistent, in particular, during longer time periods. Only for lower-rated funds, the rating appears to indicate higher risk of fund closure. In addition, mutual funds face a large number of up to 38 monthly rating changes in the eight-year window. Originality/value Mutual fund rating persistence has hardly been analyzed for funds offered to retail investors so far. This paper clearly points out that because of the extensive rating migration and the high number of monthly rating changes, retail investors barely benefit from using mutual fund ratings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-94
Author(s):  
Gerasimos Rompotis

PurposeA well-documented pattern in the literature concerns the outperformance of small-cap stocks relative to their larger-cap counterparts. This paper aims to address the “small-cap versus large-cap” issue using for the first time data from the exchange traded funds (ETFs) industry.Design/methodology/approachSeveral raw return and risk-adjusted return metrics are estimated over the period 2012-2016.FindingsResults are partially supportive of the “size effect”. In particular, small-cap ETFs outperform large-cap ETFs in overall raw return terms even though they fail the risk test. However, outperformance is not consistent on an annual basis. When risk-adjusted returns are taken into consideration, small-cap ETFs are inferior to their large-cap counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsThis research only covers the ETF market in the USA. However, given the tremendous growth of ETF markets worldwide, a similar examination of the “small vs large capitalization” issue could be conducted with data from other developed ETF markets in Europe and Asia. In such a case, useful comparisons could be made, so that we could conclude whether the findings of the current study are unique and US-specific or whether they could be generalized across the several international ETF markets.Practical implicationsA possible generalization of the findings would entail that profitable investment strategies could be based on the different performance and risk characteristics of small- and large-cap ETFs.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the performance of ETFs investing in large-cap stock indicesvis-à-visthe performance of ETFs tracking indices comprised of small-cap stocks.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rainer Baule ◽  
Patrick Muenchhalfen

PurposeThe authors evaluate the preferences of retail investors with regard to the investment in structured financial products. The purpose of the paper is an analysis of the relative importance of key product attributes namely the issuing bank, the product structure, the associated costs and the disclosed risk.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conduct a choice-based conjoint analysis, based on an online experiment. Participants judge their preferences for products which are presented by shortened key information documents according to the requirements of EU regulation.FindingsInvestors consider the costs and the product structure to be most important, whereas the issuer and information on risk are of less interest. Their preferences depend on their (self-evaluated) expertise: while inexperienced retail investors concentrate on costs, experienced investors pay more attention to the product structure.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to a subsegment of the market, the discount certificates. For these products, issuing banks gain insight into the attractiveness of their products. Furthermore, the study carries implications for regulators: since investors emphasize the costs in their decisions, an unbiased disclosure of costs should be enforced.Originality/valueWhile the recent literature has studied preferences for the investment in mutual funds, this is the first paper which directly analyzes the drivers of an investment in structured retail products.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 6-9
Author(s):  
Richard F. Kerr ◽  
Matthew J. Rogers

Purpose To explain the significance of a recently issued interpretive letter in which FINRA staff agreed to permit the use of pre-inception index performance data by passively managed, registered open-end investment companies. Design/methodology/approach FINRA recently issued an interpretive letter extending previously issued guidance by permitting passively managed open-end registered investment companies including separately-managed series of a business trust to use pre-inception index performance data in Institutional Communications. Findings The 2019 Letter is an important shift in how FINRA staff views PIP data in Institutional Communications by acknowledging that passively managed open-end funds should be treated in a similar manner as passively managed exchange-traded funds. This shift will be a welcome development for FINRA member firms wishing to include PIP data in marketing materials for the passively managed open-end funds they distribute. Originality/value Practical guidance from experienced investment management and broker-dealer lawyers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1095-1119
Author(s):  
Weerapong Kitiwong ◽  
Naruanard Sarapaivanich

Purpose This paper aims to ask whether the implementation of the expanded auditor’s report, which included a requirement to disclose key audit matters (KAMs) in Thailand since 2016, has improved audit quality. Design/methodology/approach To answer this question, the authors examined audit quality two years before and two years after its adoption by analysing 1,519 firm-year observations obtained from 312 companies. The authors applied logistic regression analyses to the firm-year observations. Findings The authors found some weak evidence that KAMs disclosure improved audit quality because of auditors putting more effort into their audits and audits being performed thoroughly after the implementation of KAMs. Interestingly, the number of disclosed KAMs and the most common types of disclosed KAMs are not associated with audit quality. Only disclosed KAMs related to acquisitions are more informative because the presence of this type of disclosed KAMs signals the greater likelihood of financial restatements being made in a later year. Originality/value Unlike previous studies on the impact of KAMs disclosure on audit quality, which used discretionary accruals as proxy for audit quality, this study used the occurrence of financial restatements.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Mahmudul Alam ◽  
Chowdhury Shahed Akbar ◽  
Shawon Muhammad Shahriar ◽  
Mohammad Monzur Elahi

PurposeBecause of chronic financial crises experienced during past several decades repeatedly and a failure to protect investors’ rights as a result, the world is looking for an alternative form of stock market for quite some time so that interests of all relevant stakeholders can be safeguarded. At the same time, from the perspectives of devout Muslims, the current form of stock market restricts a Muslim to make investments in the market because of several unsatisfying provisions from the viewpoint of the Islamic law known as Shariah. This study aims to provide the criteria under which conditions of the Islamic Shariah permit making investments in the stock market. Hand in hand with that primary discussion, it has been eluded briefly why the Islamic Shariah principles offer a better alternative against conventional practices of the stock market. Design/methodology/approachThis is a descriptive study based on the literature review. FindingsThis study explores the basic Islamic principles of investment in the stock market by revisiting the norms laid down by Shariah and current global practices of Islamic stock market and indexes. Originality/valueThis study will work as a guideline for investors and market authorities to understand the original Shariah rulings and the benchmark rulings for investment or establishing full-fledged Islamic stock markets, indexes and mutual funds.


2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 231-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Edward Chang ◽  
Thomas M. Krueger ◽  
H. Doug Witte

Purpose – For a number of reasons ranging from their more recent introduction to their perceived lesser excitement relative to stock-based peers, there have been few studies of fixed income (mainly bond) exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The purpose of this paper is to fill the void by comparing performance measures of fixed income ETFs to fixed income closed-end funds (CEFs). Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines operating characteristics as well as risk and performance measures of all available fixed income ETFs and CEFs in the USA over the last five and ten years ending on December 31, 2014. Operating characteristics include expense ratios, annual turnover rates, tax cost ratios, and tracking error ratios. Performance measures include average annual returns, risks (measured by standard deviations), and risk-adjusted returns (measured by Sharpe ratios and Sortino ratios). Findings – This study finds material and significant difference in a variety of expenses, return measures, and risk measures. Sharpe and Sortino ratio significance is highly dependent on whether net asset values or market values serve as the dependent variable. ETFs would be the preferred choice of fixed income investors who are presumed to be focussing on market-based return measures. Originality/value – This paper empirically compares operating characteristics as well as risk and performance measures of US fixed income ETFs and fixed income CEFs in the same Morningstar categories over the last five and ten years.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 53-56
Author(s):  
Richard F. Kerr

Purpose – To review FINRA enforcement action taken against a broker-dealer over failure to waive mutual fund sales charges for certain eligible customers and failure to establish, maintain, and enforce a supervisory system and written procedures reasonably designed to ensure eligible accounts received sales charge waivers as set forth in the mutual funds’ prospectuses. Design/methodology/approach – Reviews and summarizes FINRA’s finding’s regarding the broker-dealer’s failure to apply applicable mutual fund sales charge waivers, deficiencies in the broker-dealer’s supervisory system and written procedures resulting in the failure, resulting violations of FINRA rules, the broker-dealer’s remedial efforts, and the sanctions imposed. Findings – This settlement provides an important reminder for FINRA member broker-dealers of the need to ensure that eligible investors receive applicable sales charger waivers or are placed in the appropriate share class, and to establish, maintain, and enforce a supervisory system and written procedures reasonably designed to ensure eligible accounts received sales charge waivers as set forth in the mutual funds’ prospectuses. Originality/value – Practical explanation from experienced financial institutions lawyers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 352-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Rodriguez

Purpose – This study aims to examine the cross-sectional variation in risk of US-based micro-cap open-end mutual funds. Micro-cap mutual funds allow investors to access very low-priced stocks issued by the smallest of companies. The stock of these firms is usually not traded in major exchanges, and their financial information is not readily available and, thus, regarded as risky investments. Design/methodology/approach – The author examines the cross-sectional variation in risk and higher moments of US-based micro-cap mutual funds in comparison with that of small-cap and mid-cap mutual funds. Total, systematic and idiosyncratic risk metrics, along with higher moments, are estimated before, during and after the 2008 financial crisis. Findings – The author finds that, indeed, based on total and idiosyncratic risk metrics, the sample of micro-cap funds is riskier than the size-matched samples of small-cap and mid-cap funds. The author also reports that the sample of micro-cap funds fail to generate higher excess returns than the less risky small-cap and mid-cap funds. Originality/value – To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first time that the risk of small-cap mutual funds has been examined.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 67-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panos Katsambas ◽  
Chu Ting Ng

Purpose To explore the issues and questions put forward for consideration by stakeholders by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its discussion paper dated February 2017 – the purpose of which was to gather stakeholders’ views on illiquid assets and open-ended investment funds and seek to provide a basis for debate by setting out several policies for FCA intervention. Design/methodology/approach Explains and discusses the potential consequences of each issue and question put forward by the FCA, including definitions of illiquid assets, liquidity management tools, treatment of professional and retail investors, portfolio restrictions and liquidity buffers, valuation of illiquid assets, direct intervention by the FCA, enhanced disclosure, and secondary markets for illiquid assets. Findings What was found in the course of the work? The decision to suspend redemptions by these large property funds has brought to the forefront the key question of whether real estate or other illiquid assets are appropriate for open-ended funds. Many questions and considerations remain as to what impact the FCA’s proposed changes could have on the industry. The FCA consultation closed on 8 May 2017 and the results could determine new and adapted rules. Originality/value Practical guidance from experienced funds lawyers.


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