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Bond funds and credit risk

Author

Listed:
  • Choi, Jaewon
  • Dasgupta, Amil
  • Oh, Ji

Abstract

We show that supply-side effects arising from the bond holdings of open-end mutual funds affect corporate credit risk. In our model, funds exposed to flow-performance relationships are reluctant to roll over bonds of companies with weak cash flow prospects fearing future outflows. This lowers rollover prices, enhancing equityholders' strategic default incentives, engendering a positive association between bond funds' presence and credit risk. Empirically, we find that in firms with weak cash flow prospects, fund holding shares increase CDS spreads, and more so when flows are more sensitive to performance. We use instrumental variables and quasi-experiments to address endogeneity concerns.

Suggested Citation

  • Choi, Jaewon & Dasgupta, Amil & Oh, Ji, 2022. "Bond funds and credit risk," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118856, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:118856
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/118856/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fund flows; credit risk; flow concerns; bond rollover; default-liquidity loop;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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