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Detecting Superior Mutual Fund Managers: Evidence from Copycats

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  • Blake Phillips
  • Kuntara Pukthuanthong
  • P. Raghavendra Rau

Abstract

We examine the ex ante ability of investors to identify superior mutual fund managers among the investor set likely most able, and with the greatest incentive to do so, their rivals. Identifying actual copycat funds via comparisons of trading in consecutive periods, we find little evidence to suggest that managers are able to detect superior funds. Copycats select funds with high prior performance and investment inflows, and the performance of the target fund reverses following copying initiation. If superior managers exist, our results suggest that the source of skill lies in private information obtained by these managers. These results are consistent with information models indicating that private, but not public, information can be profitable.

Suggested Citation

  • Blake Phillips & Kuntara Pukthuanthong & P. Raghavendra Rau, 2014. "Detecting Superior Mutual Fund Managers: Evidence from Copycats," The Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 4(2), pages 286-321.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:rasset:v:4:y:2014:i:2:p:286-321.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/rapstu/rau007
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Stein, Roberto, 2023. "Are mutual fund managers good gamblers?," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Martin Rohleder & Dominik Schulte & Janik Syryca & Marco Wilkens, 2018. "Mutual Fund Stock†Picking Skill: New Evidence from Valuation†versus Liquidity†Motivated Trading," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 47(2), pages 309-347, June.
    3. Roberto Stein, 2022. "‘Smart’ copycat mutual funds: on the performance of partial imitation strategies," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 1-31, December.
    4. Chong Huang & Fei Li & Xi Weng, 2020. "Star Ratings and the Incentives of Mutual Funds," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(3), pages 1715-1765, June.
    5. Jiang, Hao & Verardo, Michela, 2018. "Does herding behavior reveal skill? An analysis of mutual fund performance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 86372, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Sean Shun Cao & Kai Du & Baozhong Yang & Alan L. Zhang, 2021. "Copycat Skills and Disclosure Costs: Evidence from Peer Companies’ Digital Footprints," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(4), pages 1261-1302, September.
    7. Genc, Egemen & Shirley, Sara E. & Stark, Jeffrey R. & Tran, Hai, 2023. "Finding information in obvious places: Work connections and mutual fund investment ideas," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G02 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Behavioral Finance: Underlying Principles
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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