IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jmathe/v11y2023i21p4500-d1271558.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Causal Configurations Influencing Mutual Fund Performance: The Role of Fund Manager Skill

Author

Listed:
  • Pedro Carmona

    (Departament d’Economia Financera i Actuarial, Facultat d’Economia, Universitat de València, Avda. Tarongers s/n, 46022 València, Spain)

  • Alexandre Momparler

    (Departament d’Economia Financera i Actuarial, Facultat d’Economia, Universitat de València, Avda. Tarongers s/n, 46022 València, Spain)

  • Francisco Climent

    (Departament d’Economia Financera i Actuarial, Facultat d’Economia, Universitat de València, Avda. Tarongers s/n, 46022 València, Spain)

Abstract

A mutual fund is a common instrument for households and corporations to invest in the financial markets through diversified portfolios of securities. Investing in managed mutual funds involves relying on a fund manager’s knowledge, expertise, and investment strategy to beat the fund’s benchmark. The purpose of this paper is to help mutual fund investors in their fund selection process. The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is the methodology applied to identify combinations of factors that facilitate the selection of performing mutual funds. The goal is to determine whether fund manager skill, as measured by Jensen’s Alpha and other qualitative factors, is a key driver of performance. Our research focuses on US-registered equity funds with a global investing scope over a 5-year period (2016–2021), and we combine three mutual fund databases to obtain more complete data while enhancing data accuracy and consistency. The findings reveal that both manager skill and fund size are pervasive factors included in all three successful combinations of sufficiency conditions leading to high-performance funds. In addition, it is verified that manager skill is the only necessary condition to ensure high returns on mutual funds. Investors’ fund selection process is a cumbersome task that can be simplified with the successful recipes provided by the fsQCA model.

Suggested Citation

  • Pedro Carmona & Alexandre Momparler & Francisco Climent, 2023. "A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Causal Configurations Influencing Mutual Fund Performance: The Role of Fund Manager Skill," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-23, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:11:y:2023:i:21:p:4500-:d:1271558
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/11/21/4500/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/11/21/4500/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Livingston, Miles & Yao, Ping & Zhou, Lei, 2019. "The volatility of mutual fund performance," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Kyle C. Longest & Stephen Vaisey, 2008. "fuzzy: A program for performing qualitative comparative analyses (QCA) in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 8(1), pages 79-104, February.
    3. Daniel, Kent, et al, 1997. "Measuring Mutual Fund Performance with Characteristic-Based Benchmarks," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(3), pages 1035-1058, July.
    4. Blake, Christopher R. & Morey, Matthew R., 2000. "Morningstar Ratings and Mutual Fund Performance," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 35(3), pages 451-483, September.
    5. Ramiro Losada, 2022. "Periodic public information on investment funds and how it influences investors´ decisions," CNMV Working Papers CNMV Working Papers no. 7, CNMV- Spanish Securities Markets Commission - Research and Statistics Department.
    6. J. Edward Graham & Carlos Lassala & Belén Ribeiro Navarrete, 2020. "Influences on mutual fund performance: comparing US and Europe using qualitative comparative analysis," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 3049-3070, January.
    7. Ragin, Charles C., 2000. "Fuzzy-Set Social Science," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226702773.
    8. Dahms, Sven, 2019. "Foreign-owned subsidiary knowledge sourcing: The role of location and expatriates," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 178-188.
    9. Ragin, Charles C., 2006. "Set Relations in Social Research: Evaluating Their Consistency and Coverage," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(3), pages 291-310, July.
    10. repec:ucp:bkecon:9780226702766 is not listed on IDEAS
    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. Birchler, Kassandra & Michaelowa, Katharina, 2016. "Making aid work for education in developing countries: An analysis of aid effectiveness for primary education coverage and quality," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 37-52.
    2. Joseph Holler & Quinn Bernier & J. Timmons Roberts & Stacy-ann Robinson, 2020. "Transformational Adaptation in Least Developed Countries: Does Expanded Stakeholder Participation Make a Difference?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-26, February.
    3. Hervas-Oliver, Jose-Luis & Sempere-Ripoll, Francisca & Arribas, Ivan, 2015. "Asymmetric modeling of organizational innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 2654-2662.
    4. Deutscher, Franziska & Zapkau, Florian B. & Schwens, Christian & Baum, Matthias & Kabst, Ruediger, 2016. "Strategic orientations and performance: A configurational perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 849-861.
    5. Marisol Carvajal-Camperos & Paloma Almodóvar & Ignacio Danvila-del-Valle, 2024. "Examining the conditions for signing a strategic alliance contract: a configurational approach to the biotechnology sector," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 44-68, February.
    6. Birchler, Kassandra & Michaelowa, Katharina, 2016. "Making aid work for education in developing countries: An analysis of aid effectiveness for primary education coverage and quality," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 37-52.
    7. Weslem Rodrigues Faria & Admir Antônio Betarelli Júnior & Rosa Lívia Gonçalves Montenegro, 2019. "Multidimensional characteristics and deforestation: an analysis for the Brazilian Legal Amazon," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 1959-1979, July.
    8. Alrik Thiem, 2014. "Unifying Configurational Comparative Methods," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 43(2), pages 313-337, May.
    9. Sunyoung Pyo, 2020. "Contingency factors explaining policy adoption: body-worn camera policy across US states," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 53(3), pages 413-435, September.
    10. Thiago Caliari & Tulio Chiarini, 2021. "Knowledge Production and Economic Development: Empirical Evidences," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(2), pages 1-22, June.
    11. Markus Mayer & Markus Voeth, 2022. "Improving negotiation success in B2B sales organizations: is structured negotiation management a success factor?," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 92(2), pages 163-196, February.
    12. Grohs, Reinhard & Raies, Karine & Koll, Oliver & Mühlbacher, Hans, 2016. "One pie, many recipes: Alternative paths to high brand strength," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 2244-2251.
    13. Barry Cooper & Judith Glaesser, 2016. "Analysing necessity and sufficiency with Qualitative Comparative Analysis: how do results vary as case weights change?," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 327-346, January.
    14. Wang, Huanming & Ran, Bing, 2022. "How business-related governance strategies impact paths towards the formation of global cities? An institutional embeddedness perspective," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    15. Cuthbertson, Keith & Nitzsche, Dirk & O'Sullivan, Niall, 2016. "A review of behavioural and management effects in mutual fund performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 162-176.
    16. Russo, Ivan & Confente, Ilenia & Gligor, David M. & Autry, Chad W., 2016. "To be or not to be (loyal): Is there a recipe for customer loyalty in the B2B context?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 888-896.
    17. Katarzyna Boratynska, 2021. "Determinants of Economic Fragility in Central and Eastern European Countries FsQCA Approach," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3B), pages 827-837.
    18. Delgado García, Juan Bautista & De Quevedo Puente, Esther, 2016. "The complex link of city reputation and city performance. Results for fsQCA analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 2830-2839.
    19. André Cherubini Alves & Bruno Brandão Fischer & Nicholas S. Vonortas, 2021. "Ecosystems of entrepreneurship: configurations and critical dimensions," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 67(1), pages 73-106, August.
    20. Peters, D.T.J.M. & Verweij, S. & Grêaux, K. & Stronks, K. & Harting, J., 2017. "Conditions for addressing environmental determinants of health behavior in intersectoral policy networks: A fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 34-41.

    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:gam:jmathe:v:11:y:2023:i:21:p:4500-:d:1271558. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.