Mutual Funds Volatility and Risk-Adjusted Returns: Evidence from the Pakistani Open-Ended Fund Market

Ayesha Muqadas, Zartashia Hameed, Muhammad Aaqib and Areeba Nasreen

Journal of Accounting and Finance in Emerging Economies, 2025, vol. 11, issue 1, 129-144

Abstract: Purpose:&This study examines the volatility and risk-adjusted returns of all open-ended mutual funds in Pakistan over the short-term (90 days) and long-term (365 days) periods. It uses the Sharpe ratio as the primary performance metric. Its purpose is to analyze the open-ended fund behavior across different time horizons and categories.Design/Methodology/Approach:&The data is extracted from the MUFAP for the year 2024 and utilizes the Sharpe Ratio for the comparison of the risk-adjusted performance among fund types, including equity and allocation funds.Findings:&The findings show that generally long-term investments give higher and more stable risk-adjusted returns as compared to short-term, which are marked by high volatility. Equity funds display the widest performance range, with outcomes ranging from exceptional gains to heavy losses. Allocation funds give moderate and more consistent returns, whereas cash funds and fixed income offer low but stable performance.Implications/Originality/Value:&The results show the significance of long-term investing and informed fund selection in emerging markets like Pakistan. This study contributes to the existing literature on mutual fund performance in Pakistan by comparing the performance over short and long-term periods and provides practical insights for investors and policymakers.

Keywords: Mutual Funds; Risk-Adjusted Returns Volatility; Sharpe Ratio Open-Ended Funds (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:src:jafeec:v:11:y:2025:i:1:p:129-144

DOI: 10.26710/jafee.v11i1.3315

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