Hedge Fund Performance: Are Stylized Facts Sensitive to Which Database One Uses?

Robert Kosowski, Joenväärä, Juha, Mikko Kaupila and Pekka Tolonen

No 13618, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: This paper proposes a novel database merging approach and re-examines the fundamental questions regarding hedge fund performance. Before drawing conclusions about fund performance, we form an aggregate database by exploiting all available information across and within seven commercial databases so that widest possible data coverage is obtained and the effect of data biases is mitigated. Average performance is significantly lower but more persistent when these conclusions are inferred from aggregate database than from some of the individual commercial databases. Although hedge funds deliver performance persistence, an average fund or industry as a whole do not deliver significant risk-adjusted net-of-fee returns while the gross-of-fee returns remain significantly positive. Consistent with previous literature, we find a significant association between fund-characteristics related to share restrictions as well as compensation structure and risk-adjusted returns.

Keywords: Hedge fund performance; Persistence; Sample selection bias; Managerial skill (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G11 G12 G23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-fmk
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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