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Delegated Asset Management, Investment Mandates, and Capital Immobility

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  • Zhiguo He
  • Wei Xiong

Abstract

This paper develops a model to explain the widely used investment mandates in the institutional asset management industry based on two insights: First, giving a manager more investment flexibility weakens the link between fund performance and his effort in the designated market, and thus increases agency cost. Second, the presence of outside assets with negatively skewed returns can further increase the agency cost if the manager is incentivized to pursue outside opportunities. These effects motivate narrow mandates and tight tracking error constraints to most fund managers except those with exceptional talents. Our model sheds light on capital immobility and market segmentation that are widely observed in financial markets, and highlights important effects of negatively skewed risk on institutional incentive structures.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhiguo He & Wei Xiong, 2008. "Delegated Asset Management, Investment Mandates, and Capital Immobility," NBER Working Papers 14574, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14574
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    4. Baghai, Ramin & Becker, Bo & Pitschner, Stefan, 2018. "The Private Use of Credit Ratings: Evidence from Mutual Fund Investment Mandates," CEPR Discussion Papers 13418, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Ernest Liu & Benjamin N. Roth, 2020. "Contractual Restrictions and Debt Traps," Working Papers 2020-30, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    6. Abad, Pilar & Díaz, Antonio & Escribano, Ana & Robles, M.-Dolores, 2021. "Crossing boundaries beyond the investment grade: Induced trading by rating-contingent investment constraints," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    7. Hiraki, Takato & Liu, Ming, 2021. "Do global equity mutual funds exhibit home bias?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
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    11. Donaldson, Jason Roderick & Piacentino, Giorgia, 2018. "Contracting to compete for flows," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 289-319.
    12. Acharya, Viral V. & Lochstoer, Lars A. & Ramadorai, Tarun, 2013. "Limits to arbitrage and hedging: Evidence from commodity markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(2), pages 441-465.
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    15. Michael Sockin & Mindy Z Xiaolan, 2023. "Delegated Learning and Contract Commonality in Asset Management," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(6), pages 1931-1975.
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    JEL classification:

    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General

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