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Competition for Attention in the ETF Space

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  • Itzhak Ben-David
  • Francesco Franzoni
  • Byungwook Kim
  • Rabih Moussawi

Abstract

The interplay between investors' demand and providers' incentives has shaped the evolution of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). While early ETFs invest in broad-based indexes and therefore offered diversification at low cost, later products track niche port- folios and charge high fees. Strikingly, over their first five years, specialized ETFs lose about 30% in risk-adjusted terms. This underperformance cannot be explained by high fees or hedging demand. Rather, it is driven by the overvaluation of the underlying stocks at the time of the launch. Our results are consistent with providers catering to investors' extrapolative beliefs by issuing specialized ETFs that track attention- grabbing themes.

Suggested Citation

  • Itzhak Ben-David & Francesco Franzoni & Byungwook Kim & Rabih Moussawi, 2021. "Competition for Attention in the ETF Space," NBER Working Papers 28369, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28369
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    1. Albert J. Menkveld & Anna Dreber & Félix Holzmeister & Juergen Huber & Magnus Johannesson & Michael Kirchler & Sebastian Neusüss & Michael Razen & Utz Weitzel & Gunther Capelle-Blancard, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 21033, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
      • Albert J. Menkveld & Anna Dreber & Felix Holzmeister & Juergen Huber & Magnus Johannesson & Michael Kirchler & Sebastian Neussüs & Michael Razen & Utz Weitzel & Christian Brownlees & Javier Gil-Bazo, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Working Papers 1303, Barcelona School of Economics.
      • Albert J. Menkveld & Anna Dreber & Felix Holzmeister & Juergen Huber & Magnus Johannesson & Michael Kirchler & Sebastian Neusüss & Michael Razen & Utz Weitzel & David Abad-Díaz & Menachem Abudy & To, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Working Paper Series, Social and Economic Sciences 2021-11, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz.
      • Menkveld, Albert J. & Dreber, Anna & Holzmeister, Felix & Huber, Jürgen & Johannesson, Magnus & Kirchler, Michael & Neusüss, Sebastian & Razen, Michael & Weitzel, Utz, 2021. "Non-standard errors," IWH Discussion Papers 11/2021, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
      • Albert J. Menkveld & Anna Dreber & Felix Holzmeister & Juergen Huber & Magnus Johannesson & Michael Kirchler & Sebastian Neussüs & Michael Razen & Utz Weitzel & Christian T. Brownlees & Javier Gil-Baz, 2021. "Non-standard errors," Economics Working Papers 1807, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
      • Menkveld, Albert J. & Dreber, Anna & Holzmeister, Felix & Huber, Juergen & Johannesson, Magnus & Kirchler, Michael & Neusüss, Sebastian & Razen, Michael & Weitzel, Utz & Abad-Díaz, David & Abudy, Mena, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Working Papers 2021:17, Lund University, Department of Economics.
      • Albert J. et al. Menkveld, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," CESifo Working Paper Series 9453, CESifo.
      • Albert J Menkveld & Anna Dreber & Felix Holzmeister & Juergen Huber & Magnus Johannesson & Michael Kirchler & Sebastian Neusüss & Michael Razen & Utz Weitzel & Gunther Capelle-Blancard & David Abad-Dí, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Post-Print halshs-03500882, HAL.
      • Menkveld, Albert J. & Dreber, Anna & Holzmeister, Felix & Huber, Juergen & Johannesson, Magnus & Hasse, Jean-Baptiste & e.a.,, 2023. "Non-Standard Errors," LIDAM Reprints LFIN 2023002, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Finance (LFIN).
      • Albert J. Menkveld & Anna Dreber & Felix Holzmeister & Juergen Huber & Magnus Johannesson & Michael Kirchler & Sebastian Neusüss & Michael Razen & Utz Weitzel & Edwin Baidoo & Michael Frömmel & et al, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 21/1032, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
      • Francesco Franzoni & Roxana Mihet & Markus Leippold & Per Ostberg & Olivier Scaillet & Norman Schürhoff & Oksana Bashchenko & Nicola Mano & Michele Pelli, 2022. "Non-Standard Errors," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 22-09, Swiss Finance Institute.
      • Moinas, Sophie & Declerck, Fany & Menkveld, Albert J. & Dreber, Anna, 2023. "Non-Standard Errors," TSE Working Papers 23-1451, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
      • Menkveld, A. & Dreber, A. & Holzmeister, F. & Huber, J. & Johannesson, M. & Kirchler, M. & Neusüss, S. & Razen, M. & Neusüss, S. & Neusüss, S., 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2182, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
      • Menkveld, Albert J. & Dreber, Anna & Holzmeister, Felix & Huber, Jürgen & Johannesson, Magnus & Kirchler, Michael & Neusüss, Sebastian & Razen, Michael & Weitzel, Utz, 2021. "Non-standard errors," SAFE Working Paper Series 327, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
      • Ferrara, Gerardo & Jurkatis, Simon, 2021. "Non-standard errors," Bank of England working papers 955, Bank of England.
      • Albert J. Menkveld & Anna Dreber & Felix Holzmeister & Jürgen Huber & Magnus Johannesson & Michael Kirchler & Sebastian Neusüss & Michael Razen & Utz Weitzel & David Abad-Dí­az & Menachem Abudy & Tobi, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Working Papers 2021-31, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
      • Albert J Menkveld & Anna Dreber & Felix Holzmeister & Juergen Huber & Magnus Johannesson & Michael Kirchler & Sebastian Neusüss & Michael Razen & Utz Weitzel & Gunther Capelle-Blancard & David Abad-Dí, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-03500882, HAL.
      • Menkveld, A. & Dreber, A. & Holzmeister, F. & Huber, J. & Johannesson, M. & Kirchler, M. & Neusüss, S. & Razen, M. & Neusüss, S. & Neusüss, S., 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," Janeway Institute Working Papers 2112, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
      • Wolff, Christian & Menkveld, Albert J. & Dreber, Anna & Holzmeister, Felix & Huber, Juergen & Johannesson, Magnus & Kirchler, Michael & Neusüess, Sebastian & Razen, Michael & Weitzel, Utz, 2021. "Non-Standard Errors," CEPR Discussion Papers 16751, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Joseph Levine, 2021. "Investment AUM Fee Costs: Evaluating a Simple Formula," Papers 2107.00837, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2023.
    3. Andreas Hackethal & Tobin Hanspal & Dominique M Lammer & Kevin Rink, 2022. "The Characteristics and Portfolio Behavior of Bitcoin Investors: Evidence from Indirect Cryptocurrency Investments [The investor in structured retail products: advice driven or gambling oriented]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(4), pages 855-898.
    4. Mariia Kosar & Sergei Mikhalishchev, 2022. "Inattentive Price Discovery in ETFs," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp735, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.

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    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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