IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v60y2024ics1544612323013375.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Why do life insurers hold sin bonds? Evidence from investment delegation

Author

Listed:
  • Brisker, Eric
  • Wang, Jinjing
  • Wang, Shuai

Abstract

In recent years, life insurers have increased their exposure to socially controversial (sin) bonds from the alcohol, tobacco, and gaming sectors, which contradicts the social norm constraints commonly associated with such institutional investors. We show empirically that insurers’ investment delegation is associated with a reduced adherence to social norms, evidenced by their investment allocations. We find that insurers who delegate investment decisions to advisors are both more likely to invest and invest higher amounts in sin bonds. The effect is more pronounced when the advisors are unaffiliated with the insurer. Our results offer valuable insights into how investment delegation may affect the impacts of social norms on investment decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Brisker, Eric & Wang, Jinjing & Wang, Shuai, 2024. "Why do life insurers hold sin bonds? Evidence from investment delegation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:60:y:2024:i:c:s1544612323013375
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2023.104965
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612323013375
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104965?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Blitz & Laurens Swinkels, 2021. "Who owns tobacco stocks?," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(5), pages 311-325, September.
    2. Joseph Gerakos & Juhani T. Linnainmaa & Adair Morse, 2021. "Asset Managers: Institutional Performance and Factor Exposures," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(4), pages 2035-2075, August.
    3. JULES H. Van BINSBERGEN & MICHAEL W. BRANDT & RALPH S. J. KOIJEN, 2008. "Optimal Decentralized Investment Management," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(4), pages 1849-1895, August.
    4. Borgers, Arian & Derwall, Jeroen & Koedijk, Kees & ter Horst, Jenke, 2015. "Do social factors influence investment behavior and performance? Evidence from mutual fund holdings," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 112-126.
    5. Joseph Chen & Harrison Hong & Wenxi Jiang & Jeffrey D. Kubik, 2013. "Outsourcing Mutual Fund Management: Firm Boundaries, Incentives, and Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(2), pages 523-558, April.
    6. A. Fabretti & S. Herzel, 2012. "Delegated portfolio management with socially responsible investment constraints," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3-4), pages 293-309, April.
    7. Ralph S. J. Koijen & Motohiro Yogo, 2023. "Understanding the Ownership Structure of Corporate Bonds," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 73-92, March.
    8. Berk, Jonathan B. & van Binsbergen, Jules H., 2015. "Measuring skill in the mutual fund industry," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 1-20.
    9. Oleg Chuprinin & Massimo Massa & David Schumacher, 2015. "Outsourcing in the International Mutual Fund Industry: An Equilibrium View," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(5), pages 2275-2308, October.
    10. Hong, Harrison & Kacperczyk, Marcin, 2009. "The price of sin: The effects of social norms on markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 15-36, July.
    11. Jeffrey A. Busse & Amit Goyal & Sunil Wahal, 2010. "Performance and Persistence in Institutional Investment Management," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(2), pages 765-790, April.
    12. Robert McMenamin & Anna L. Paulson & Thanases Plestis & Richard J. Rosen, 2013. "What do U.S. life insurers invest in?," Chicago Fed Letter, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, issue Apr.
    13. Luo, H. Arthur & Balvers, Ronald J., 2017. "Social Screens and Systematic Investor Boycott Risk," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 52(1), pages 365-399, February.
    14. Ernst-Ludwig Von Thadden & Xiaojian Zhao, 2012. "Incentives for Unaware Agents," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 79(3), pages 1151-1174.
    15. Fabozzi, Frank J. & Lamba, Asjeet S. & Nishikawa, Takeshi & Rao, Ramesh P. & Ma, K.C., 2019. "Does the corporate bond market overvalue bonds of sin companies?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 165-170.
    16. Koedijk, Kees & ter Horst, Jenke & Borgers, Arian & Derwall, Jeroen, 2015. "Do Social Factors Influence Investment Behaviour and Performance? Evidence from Mutual Fund Holdings," CEPR Discussion Papers 10740, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    17. Holmstrom, Bengt, 1999. "The Firm as a Subeconomy," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(1), pages 74-102, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luo, Mancy, 2017. "Essays in financial intermediation and political economy," Other publications TiSEM 146f40d3-6c89-4c6d-8fea-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    2. Nofsinger, John R. & Sulaeman, Johan & Varma, Abhishek, 2019. "Institutional investors and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 700-725.
    3. Fu, Yufen & Wright, Danika & Blazenko, George, 2020. "Ethical Investing Has No Portfolio Performance Cost," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    4. Cai, Chen & Wang, Jinjing, 2023. "Does military leadership regulate sin investments? Evidence from property/casualty insurance industry," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    5. Turki Rashed Alshammari & Jean-Noël Ory, 2023. "The Impact of Religious Announcements on Stock Prices and Investment Decisions on the Saudi Stock Exchange," Post-Print hal-04105704, HAL.
    6. Niszczota, Paweł & Białek, Michał, 2021. "Women oppose sin stocks more than men do," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    7. Anna (Ania) Zalewska, 2022. "Saving with Group or Individual Personal Pension Schemes: How Much Difference Does It Make?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(7), pages 5384-5402, July.
    8. Han, Min-Yeon & Jun, Sang-Gyung & Oh, Ji Yeol Jimmy & Kang, Hyoung-Goo, 2023. "Who should choose the money managers? Institutional sponsors' equity manager performance," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    9. Muñoz, Fernando, 2021. "Carbon-intensive industries in Socially Responsible mutual funds' portfolios," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    10. Okimoto, Tatsuyoshi & Takaoka, Sumiko, 2024. "Sustainability and credit spreads in Japan," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    11. Barbara Abou Tanos & Omar Farooq & Mohammed Bouaddi & Neveen Ahmed, 2024. "Asymmetric Impact of Active Management on the Performance of ESG Funds," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-15, August.
    12. Cheng, Xu & Kong, Dongmin & Kong, Gaowen, 2022. "Foreign institutional investors and executive compensation incentives: Evidence from China," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    13. Humphrey, Jacquelyn E. & Li, Yong, 2021. "Who goes green: Reducing mutual fund emissions and its consequences," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    14. Gutsche, Gunnar & Ziegler, Andreas, 2019. "Which private investors are willing to pay for sustainable investments? Empirical evidence from stated choice experiments," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 193-214.
    15. Jun Duanmu & Qiping Huang & Yongjia Li & Garrett A. McBrayer, 2021. "Can hedge funds benefit from corporate social responsibility investment?," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 56(2), pages 251-278, May.
    16. Gunnar Gutsche & Andreas Ziegler, 2016. "Are private investors willing to pay for sustainable investments? A stated choice experiment," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201640, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    17. Labidi, Chiraz & Laribi, Dorra & Ureche-Rangau, Loredana, 2021. "National culture and socially responsible fund flows," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    18. Fernando Muñoz & María Vargas & Ruth Vicente, 2021. "Style-changing behaviour in the socially responsible mutual fund industry: consequences on financial and sustainable performance," Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(5), pages 1027-1051, February.
    19. Michel Verlaine, 2022. "Behavioral finance and the architecture of the asset management industry," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(5), pages 1454-1476, December.
    20. Zhichuan Frank Li & Saurin Patel & Srikanth Ramani, 2021. "The Role of Mutual Funds in Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(3), pages 715-737, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Life insurers; Sin bonds; Delegated investment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:60:y:2024:i:c:s1544612323013375. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.