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Passive versus Active Fund Performance: Do Index Funds Have Skill?

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  • Crane, Alan D.
  • Crotty, Kevin

Abstract

We apply methods designed to measure mutual fund skill to a cross section of funds that is unlikely to exhibit managerial portfolio selection skill: index funds. Surprisingly, these tests imply index fund skill exists, is persistent, and is in similar proportion as in active funds. We use the distribution of passive fund performance to gauge the incremental ability of active managers. Outperformance by top active funds is lower when benchmarked to the index fund distribution and disappears when we account for residual risk. Stochastic dominance tests suggest no risk-averse investor should choose a random active fund over a random index fund.

Suggested Citation

  • Crane, Alan D. & Crotty, Kevin, 2018. "Passive versus Active Fund Performance: Do Index Funds Have Skill?," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(1), pages 33-64, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jfinqa:v:53:y:2018:i:01:p:33-64_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kiran Paudel & Atsuyuki Naka, 2023. "Effects of size on the exchange-traded funds performance," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(6), pages 474-484, October.
    2. Mohsni, Sana & Otchere, Isaac & Yamada, Kazuo, 2021. "Passive trading and firm performance: A quasi-natural experiment using the TSE-OSE merger in Japan," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    3. Alan Crane & Kevin Crotty, 2020. "How Skilled Are Security Analysts?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(3), pages 1629-1675, June.
    4. Ruf, Tobias, 2023. "Passive ownership and long-term orientation around the world," Junior Management Science (JUMS), Junior Management Science e. V., vol. 8(2), pages 473-504.
    5. Adams, John & Hayunga, Darren & Mansi, Sattar, 2022. "Index fund trading costs are inversely related to fund and family size," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    6. Fu, Lili & Pan, Liyuan & Wu, Fengyun, 2021. "Does passive investment have a positive governance effect? Evidence from index funds ownership and corporate innovation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 524-545.
    7. Obrimah, Oghenovo A., 2023. "Outside of a sole globally risk averse agent, all other agents in markets are risk seeking agents," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    8. Huang, Haitao & Jiang, Lei & Leng, Xuan & Peng, Liang, 2023. "Bootstrap analysis of mutual fund performance," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 235(1), pages 239-255.
    9. Moraes, Fernando & Cavalcante-Filho, Elias & De-Losso, Rodrigo, 2021. "Unskilled fund managers: Replicating active fund performance with few ETFs," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    10. Zhang, Jinhua & Wang, Guipu & Yan, Cheng, 2020. "Can foreign equity funds outperform their benchmarks? New evidence from fund-holding data for China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 11-20.
    11. Laurent Barras & Patrick Gagliardini & Olivier Scaillet, 2022. "Skill, Scale, and Value Creation in the Mutual Fund Industry," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(1), pages 601-638, February.
    12. Magni, Carlo Alberto & Marchioni, Andrea & Baschieri, Davide, 2023. "The Attribution Matrix and the joint use of Finite Change Sensitivity Index and Residual Income for value-based performance measurement," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(2), pages 872-892.
    13. Agarwal, Vikas & Jiang, Wei & Luo, Yuchen & Zou, Hong, 2023. "The real effect of sociopolitical racial animus: Mutual fund manager performance during the AAPI Hate," CFR Working Papers 23-05, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR).

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