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Seasonality in Fund Performance: An Examination of the Portfolio Holdings and Trades of Investment Managers

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  • David R. Gallagher
  • Matt Pinnuck

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which seasonal variation arises across calendar months in the performance of active Australian equity managers. While it is well documented that there is seasonality in equity market returns, it is unknown whether calendar month variation in managed fund performance exists. Employing a unique database of monthly stock holdings, we find evidence consistent with systematic variation in the risk‐adjusted performance of active investment managers over the calendar year. Specifically, we find fund performance is higher in the months when corporate earnings are announced. We also document that the performance of fund managers is lower in the months preceding the tax year‐end. Finally, we report evidence that investment manager performance is greater than normal in December, possibly due to both window dressing and the Christmas holiday effect. These findings have important implications for investors attempting to exploit anomalies in fund returns by timing their entry and exit points from active equity funds.

Suggested Citation

  • David R. Gallagher & Matt Pinnuck, 2006. "Seasonality in Fund Performance: An Examination of the Portfolio Holdings and Trades of Investment Managers," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(7‐8), pages 1240-1266, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jbfnac:v:33:y:2006:i:7-8:p:1240-1266
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5957.2006.00018.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hyung-Suk Choi & Doojin Ryu & Sangik Seok, 2017. "The turn-of-the-year effect in mutual fund flows," Risk Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(2), pages 131-157, May.
    2. Kee‐Hong Bae & Junesuh Yi, 2008. "The Impact of the Short‐Short Rule Repeal on the Timing Ability of Mutual Funds," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(7‐8), pages 969-997, September.
    3. Zhong, Angel & Limkriangkrai, Manapon & Gray, Philip, 2014. "Anomalies, risk adjustment and seasonality: Australian evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 207-218.
    4. Philip Brown & Andrew Ferguson & Sam Sherry, 2010. "Investor behaviour in response to Australia’s capital gains tax," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 50(4), pages 783-808, December.
    5. Harshita & Shveta Singh & Surendra S. Yadav, 2019. "Unique Calendar Effects in the Indian Stock Market: Evidence and Explanations," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 18(1_suppl), pages 35-58, April.
    6. Chien-Liang Chiu & Paoyu Huang & Min-Yuh Day & Yensen Ni & Yuhsin Chen, 2024. "Mastery of “Monthly Effects”: Big Data Insights into Contrarian Strategies for DJI 30 and NDX 100 Stocks over a Two-Decade Period," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21, January.
    7. Kee-Hong Bae & Junesuh Yi, 2008. "The Impact of the Short-Short Rule Repeal on the Timing Ability of Mutual Funds," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(7-8), pages 969-997.
    8. Jonathan Wiley & Leonard Zumpano, 2009. "Institutional Investment and the Turn-of-the-Month Effect: Evidence from REITs," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 180-201, August.
    9. Brown, Stephen J. & Sotes-Paladino, Juan & Wang, Jiaguo(George) & Yao, Yaqiong, 2017. "Starting on the wrong foot: Seasonality in mutual fund performance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 133-150.
    10. Holmes, Kathryn A. & Faff, Robert, 2008. "Estimating the performance attributes of Australian multi-sector managed funds within a dynamic Kalman filter framework," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 998-1011, December.
    11. Carlos Francisco Alves & Duarte André de Castro Reis, 2018. "Evidence of Idiosyncratic Seasonality in ETFs Performance," FEP Working Papers 603, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    12. Angel Zhong, 2022. "Institutional trading in stock market anomalies in Australia," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(1), pages 893-930, March.

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