International asset allocations and capital flows: the benchmark effect

Claudio Raddatz, Sergio Schmukler and Tomas Williams

No 6866, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: This paper studies channels through which well-known benchmark indexes impact asset allocations and capital flows across countries. The study uses unique monthly micro-level data of benchmark compositions and mutual fund investments during 1996-2012. Benchmarks have important effects on equity and bond mutual fund portfolios across funds with different degrees of activism. Benchmarks explain, on average, around 70 percent of country allocations and have significant impact even on active funds. Benchmark effects are important after controlling for industry, macroeconomic, and country-specific, time-varying effects. Reverse causality does not drive the results. Exogenous, pre-announced changes in benchmarks result in movements in asset allocations mostly when these changes are implemented (not when announced). By impacting country allocations, benchmarks affect capital flows across countries through direct and indirect channels, including contagion. They explain apparently counterintuitive movements in capital flows, generating outflows from countries when upgraded and with large market capitalization and better relative performance.

Keywords: Mutual Funds; Debt Markets; Economic Theory&Research; Information Security&Privacy; Emerging Markets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-05-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ifn and nep-opm
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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Related works:
Journal Article: International asset allocations and capital flows: The benchmark effect (2017)
Working Paper: International Asset Allocations and Capital Flows: The Benchmark Effect (2017)
Working Paper: International Asset Allocations and Capital Flows: The Benchmark Effect (2017)
Working Paper: International Asset Allocations and Capital Flows: The Benchmark Effect (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6866

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