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All Guts, No Glory: Trading and Diversification among Online Investors

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Author Info
Anderson, Anders E.S. (Swedish Institute for Financial Research)
Abstract

I explore cross-sectional portfolio performance in a sample containing 324,736 transactions conducted by 16,831 investors at an Internet discount brokerage firm during the period May 1999 to March 2002. On average, investors hold undiversified portfolios, show a strong preference for risk, and trade aggressively. I measure performance using a panel data model, and explain the cross-sectional variation using investors’ turnover, portfolio size and degree of diversification. I find that turnover is harmful to performance due to fees, and is therefore more predominant among investors with small portfolios. It is argued that the degree of diversification is a proxy for investor skill, and it has a separate and distinct positive effect on performance. These findings are helpful in explaining the overall result that investors underperform the market by around 8.5% per year on average.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for Financial Research in its series SIFR Research Report Series with number 25.

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Length: 52 pages
Date of creation: 19 Apr 2004
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:hhs:sifrwp:0025

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Related research
Keywords: Investor behavior; Performance evaluation; Panel data models;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data
D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Personal Finance
G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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  1. Kaplan, Steven & Strömberg, Per Johan, 2002. "Characteristics, Contracts and Actions: Evidence from Venture Capitalist Analyses," CEPR Discussion Papers 3243, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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This page was last updated on 2009-12-3.


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