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Overcoming limits of arbitrage: Theory and evidence

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  • Hombert, Johan
  • Thesmar, David

Abstract

Limits to arbitrage arise because financial intermediaries may face funding constraints when mispricing worsens. Using a model with limits to arbitrage, where we allow arbitrageurs to secure capital even in case of underperformance, we show that arbitrageurs that are more protected from withdrawals have more mean-reverting and volatile returns. Using data on hedge fund performance, we find robust support for these hypotheses: Funds with contractual impediments to withdrawals, and funds with performance-insensitive outflows, recover more quickly after a bad year and have more volatile returns. Our evidence is consistent with the idea that some hedge funds overcome the limits to arbitrage.

Suggested Citation

  • Hombert, Johan & Thesmar, David, 2014. "Overcoming limits of arbitrage: Theory and evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(1), pages 26-44.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:111:y:2014:i:1:p:26-44
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2013.09.003
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    2. Giannetti, Mariassunta & Kahraman, Bige, 2016. "Who Trades Against Mispricing?," CEPR Discussion Papers 11156, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. VDMV Lakshmi & Garima Sisodia & Anto Joseph & Aviral Kumar Tiwari, 2024. "The conditional impact of market conditions, volatility and liquidity shocks on the arbitrage opportunities during pre‐COVID and COVID periods," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 3007-3022, July.
    4. Mathias S. Kruttli & Phillip J. Monin & Lubomir Petrasek & Sumudu W. Watugala, 2021. "Hedge Fund Treasury Trading and Funding Fragility: Evidence from the COVID-19 Crisis," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2021-038, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    5. van der Veer, Koen & Levels, Anouk & Lambert, Claudia & Weistroffer, Christian & Chaudron, Raymond & van Stralen, René de Sousa & Molestina Vivar, Luis, 2017. "Developing macroprudential policy for alternative investment funds," Occasional Paper Series 202, European Central Bank.
    6. Paul Karehnke & Frans de Roon, 2020. "Spanning Tests for Assets with Option-Like Payoffs: The Case of Hedge Funds," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(12), pages 5969-5989, December.
    7. Robert Garrison & Pankaj K. Jain & Mark Paddrik, 2024. "Cross‐Asset Tandem Trading and Extraordinary Volatility," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(9), pages 1508-1542, September.
    8. Andrea L. Eisfeldt & Hanno Lustig & Lei Zhang, 2017. "Complex Asset Markets," NBER Working Papers 23476, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Zhou, Liyun & Yang, Chunpeng, 2019. "Stochastic investor sentiment, crowdedness and deviation of asset prices from fundamentals," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 130-140.
    10. Huang, Wenqian & Ranaldo, Angelo & Schrimpf, Andreas & Somogyi, Fabricius, 2022. "Constrained Dealers and Market Efficiency," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264054, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Limits to arbitrage; Hedge funds; Capital structure;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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