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Sitting bucks: Stale pricing in fixed income funds

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  • Choi, Jaewon
  • Kronlund, Mathias
  • Oh, Ji Yeol Jimmy

Abstract

We find evidence of widespread stale pricing in bond mutual funds and the resulting risks of dilution and fragility. A principal driver of this phenomenon is the high illiquidity of funds’ holdings, which makes accurate pricing difficult and provides funds with greater discretion over valuation. Consequently, net asset values (NAVs) are extremely stale and fund returns are predictable over several days and weeks, particularly during market crises. Opportunistic traders withdraw capital from overvalued funds, exacerbating the risk of fund runs, while buy-and-hold investors face annual dilution of around $1.2 billion. Our results highlight adverse consequences of insufficient fair valuation practices that remain pervasive even after corrective regulations that followed the 2003 market-timing scandal.

Suggested Citation

  • Choi, Jaewon & Kronlund, Mathias & Oh, Ji Yeol Jimmy, 2022. "Sitting bucks: Stale pricing in fixed income funds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(2), pages 296-317.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:145:y:2022:i:2:p:296-317
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2021.08.013
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    Cited by:

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    3. Koo, Minjae & Muslu, Volkan, 2023. "Fund Flows and Asset Valuations of Bond Mutual Funds: Effect of Side-by-Side Management," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    4. Milan Szabo, 2023. "Cyclical Investment Behavior of Investment Funds: Its Heterogeneity and Drivers," Working Papers 2023/5, Czech National Bank.
    5. Mark J. Flannery & Claire Yurong Hong & Baolian Wang, 2023. "The Effect of Government Reference Bonds on Corporate Borrowing Costs: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(7), pages 4051-4077, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bond mutual funds; Stale prices; Fair pricing; Dilution; Fund runs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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