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Measuring Innovation and Product Differentiation: Evidence from Mutual Funds

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  • LEONARD KOSTOVETSKY
  • JEROLD B. WARNER

Abstract

We study innovation and product differentiation using a uniqueness measure based on textual analysis of prospectuses. We find that small and start‐up families have higher start rates than larger families, and their products are more unique. Unique strategies attract more inflows in the first three years, and investors respond more to text‐based uniqueness than other measures such as holdings or returns uniqueness. For established funds, word uniqueness has weak negative power for explaining returns, so investors in competitive equilibrium do not sacrifice much performance to get specialized products. Uniqueness attenuates the flow‐performance relation, reducing the risk of investor outflows.

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  • Leonard Kostovetsky & Jerold B. Warner, 2020. "Measuring Innovation and Product Differentiation: Evidence from Mutual Funds," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(2), pages 779-823, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:75:y:2020:i:2:p:779-823
    DOI: 10.1111/jofi.12853
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    3. Frömel, Pascal & Kolmeder, Severin & Wagner, Dominik, 2023. "Where prices are not lazy: Evidence from REITs and the financial sector," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    4. Itzhak Ben-David & Francesco A. Franzoni & Byungwook Kim & Rabih Moussawi, 2021. "Competition for Attention in the ETF Space," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 21-03, Swiss Finance Institute.
    5. Ramiro Losada, 2022. "Periodic public information on investment funds and how it influences investors´ decisions," CNMV Working Papers CNMV Working Papers no. 7, CNMV- Spanish Securities Markets Commission - Research and Statistics Department.
    6. Michaelides, Michael, 2021. "Large sample size bias in empirical finance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    7. Lesmeister, Simon & Limbach, Peter & Rau, P. Raghavendra & Sonnenburg, Florian, 2022. "Indexing and the performance-flow relation of actively managed mutual funds," CFR Working Papers 22-02, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR).
    8. Antoine Baena & Thomas Garcia, 2023. "Swing Pricing et dynamique des flux au regard de la crise Covid-19," Working papers 914, Banque de France.
    9. Wang, Lin & Tang, Yingkai & Chen, Yaozhi & Wang, Kun, 2021. "Be a better boss. Employee treatment, trust level and family business innovation: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
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    11. Fleta-Asín, Jorge & Muñoz, Fernando, 2023. "Institutional distance and US-based international mutual funds’ financial performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).

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