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Adverse selection and the performance of private equity co-investments

Author

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  • Braun, Reiner
  • Jenkinson, Tim
  • Schemmerl, Christoph

Abstract

Investors increasingly look for private equity managers to provide opportunities for co-investing outside the fund structure, thereby saving fees and carried interest payments. In this paper, we use a large sample of buyout and venture capital co-investments to test how such deals compare with the remaining fund investments. In contrast to Fang, Ivashina, and Lerner (2015), we find no evidence of adverse selection. Gross return distributions of co-investments and other deals are similar. Co-investments generally have lower costs to investors. We simulate net returns to investors and demonstrate how reasonably sized portfolios of co-investments significantly outperform fund returns.

Suggested Citation

  • Braun, Reiner & Jenkinson, Tim & Schemmerl, Christoph, 2020. "Adverse selection and the performance of private equity co-investments," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 44-62.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:136:y:2020:i:1:p:44-62
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2019.01.009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sensoy, Berk A. & Wang, Yingdi & Weisbach, Michael S., 2014. "Limited partner performance and the maturing of the private equity industry," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(3), pages 320-343.
    2. Fang, Lily & Ivashina, Victoria & Lerner, Josh, 2015. "The disintermediation of financial markets: Direct investing in private equity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 160-178.
    3. Stephen Brown & William Goetzmann, 2001. "Hedge Funds With Style," Yale School of Management Working Papers ysm21, Yale School of Management, revised 01 Apr 2008.
    4. Braun, Reiner & Jenkinson, Tim & Stoff, Ingo, 2017. "How persistent is private equity performance? Evidence from deal-level data," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(2), pages 273-291.
    5. Steven N. Kaplan & Antoinette Schoar, 2005. "Private Equity Performance: Returns, Persistence, and Capital Flows," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(4), pages 1791-1823, August.
    6. Gompers, Paul & Lerner, Josh, 1996. "The Use of Covenants: An Empirical Analysis of Venture Partnership Agreements," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(2), pages 463-498, October.
    7. Ji-Woong Chung & Berk A. Sensoy & Léa Stern & Michael S. Weisbach, 2012. "Pay for Performance from Future Fund Flows: The Case of Private Equity," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(11), pages 3259-3304.
    8. Phalippou, Ludovic & Rauch, Christian & Umber, Marc, 2018. "Private equity portfolio company fees," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(3), pages 559-585.
    9. Wermers, Russ, 2012. "A matter of style: The causes and consequences of style drift in institutional portfolios," CFR Working Papers 12-04, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR).
    10. Josh Lerner & Antoinette Schoar & Wan Wongsunwai, 2007. "Smart Institutions, Foolish Choices: The Limited Partner Performance Puzzle," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(2), pages 731-764, April.
    11. Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Phalippou, Ludovic & Gottschalg, Oliver, 2015. "Giants at the Gate: Investment Returns and Diseconomies of Scale in Private Equity," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 50(3), pages 377-411, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Prothit Sen & Phanish Puranam, 2022. "Do Alliance portfolios encourage or impede new business practice adoption? Theory and evidence from the private equity industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(11), pages 2279-2312, November.
    2. Lerner, Josh & Mao, Jason & Schoar, Antoinette & Zhang, Nan R., 2022. "Investing outside the box: Evidence from alternative vehicles in private equity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 359-380.
    3. Josep Maria Izquierdo & Carlos Rafels, 2020. "Core Allocations in Co-investment Problems," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 29(6), pages 1157-1180, December.
    4. Dahya, Jay & Wu, Betty (H.T.), 2024. "Social capital, syndication, and investment performance: Evidence from PE investing in LBOs," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PA).
    5. Matteo Binfarè & Gregory Brown & Robert Harris & Christian Lundblad, 2023. "How Does Human Capital Affect Investing? Evidence from University Endowments," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(1), pages 143-188.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Private equity; Financial intermediation; Co-investment; Adverse selection;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage

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