IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/applec/v54y2022i39p4501-4518.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Have scale effects on cost margins of pension fund investment portfolios disappeared?

Author

Listed:
  • Jacob A. Bikker
  • Jeroen J. Meringa

Abstract

Investment costs of pension funds are crucial for their returns. Consolidation in the pension fund market proceeds continuously, often with cost savings as the main argument. Unused economies of scale in pension fund investment costs, however, have declined over the years to values close to zero, except for very small pension funds. This paper investigates investment economies of scale in the Netherlands and pays special attention to the non-linear relationship between investment costs and sizes of pension funds. Furthermore, investment cost margins are disaggregated into three cost types and into six asset categories. Performance fees are in particular paid for complex asset categories held by large pension funds. They reduce the traditional-scale economy results for the entire portfolio. Cost savings by consolidation is still possible but is very limited.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacob A. Bikker & Jeroen J. Meringa, 2022. "Have scale effects on cost margins of pension fund investment portfolios disappeared?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(39), pages 4501-4518, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:54:y:2022:i:39:p:4501-4518
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2022.2030857
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/00036846.2022.2030857
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/00036846.2022.2030857?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 look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. D. K. Malhotra & Robert W. McLeod, 1997. "An Empirical Analysis Of Mutual Fund Expenses," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 20(2), pages 175-190, June.
    2. Michael C. Jensen, 1968. "The Performance Of Mutual Funds In The Period 1945–1964," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 23(2), pages 389-416, May.
    3. Jacob Bikker & Laura Spierdijk & Pieter-Jelle van der Sluis, 2010. "What factors increase the risk of incurring high market impact costs?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(3), pages 369-387.
    4. Broeders, Dirk W.G.A. & van Oord, Arco & Rijsbergen, David R., 2016. "Scale economies in pension fund investments: A dissection of investment costs across asset classes," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 147-171.
    5. Sherrill Shaffer, 1998. "Functional Forms and Declining Average Costs," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 14(2), pages 91-115, October.
    6. J.A. Bikker, 2013. "Is there an optimal pension fund size? A scale-economy analysis of administrative and investment costs," Working Papers 13-06, Utrecht School of Economics.
    7. Malkiel, Burton G, 1995. "Returns from Investing in Equity Mutual Funds 1971 to 1991," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(2), pages 549-572, June.
    8. Jacob A. Bikker & Laura Spierdijk & Roy P. M. M. Hoevenaars & Pieter Jelle Van der Sluis, 2008. "Forecasting market impact costs and identifying expensive trades," Journal of Forecasting, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 21-39.
    9. Broeders, Dirk W.G.A. & van Oord, Arco & Rijsbergen, David R., 2019. "Does it pay to pay performance fees? Empirical evidence from Dutch pension funds," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 299-312.
    10. Bikker, Jacob A. & De Dreu, Jan, 2009. "Operating costs of pension funds: the impact of scale, governance, and plan design," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(1), pages 63-89, January.
    11. Bauer, R.M.M.J. & Cremers, K.J.M. & Frehen, R.G.P., 2010. "Pension Fund Performance and Costs: Small is Beautiful," MPRA Paper 23556, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Richard A. Ippolito, 1989. "Efficiency with Costly Information: A Study of Mutual Fund Performance, 1965–1984," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 104(1), pages 1-23.
    13. Josef Lakonishok & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1992. "The Structure and Performance of the Money Management Industry," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 23(1992 Micr), pages 339-391.
    14. Malhotra, D K & McLeod, Robert W, 1997. "An Empirical Analysis of Mutual Fund Expenses," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 20(2), pages 175-190, Summer.
    15. Gosse A.G. Alserda & Jacob A. Bikker & Fieke S.G. Van Der Lecq, 2018. "X-efficiency and economies of scale in pension fund administration and investment," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(48), pages 5164-5188, October.
    16. Jacob A. Bikker, 2017. "Is THERE AN OPTIMAL PENSION FUND SIZE? A SCALE-ECONOMY ANALYSIS OF ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 84(2), pages 739-769, June.
    17. Michel Dietsch, 1993. "Economies of scale and scope in French commercial banking industry," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 35-50, June.
    18. Christensen, Laurits R & Greene, William H, 1976. "Economies of Scale in U.S. Electric Power Generation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 84(4), pages 655-676, August.
    19. Bikker, Jacob A. & Spierdijk, Laura & van der Sluis, Pieter Jelle, 2007. "Market impact costs of institutional equity trades," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 974-1000, October.
    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. J.A. Bikker, 2013. "Is there an optimal pension fund size? A scale-economy analysis of administrative and investment costs," Working Papers 13-06, Utrecht School of Economics.
    2. J.A. Bikker, 2013. "Is there an optimal pension fund size? A scale-economy analysis of administrative and investment costs," Working Papers 13-06, Utrecht School of Economics.
    3. Jacob A. Bikker, 2017. "Is THERE AN OPTIMAL PENSION FUND SIZE? A SCALE-ECONOMY ANALYSIS OF ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 84(2), pages 739-769, June.
    4. Broeders, Dirk W.G.A. & van Oord, Arco & Rijsbergen, David R., 2019. "Does it pay to pay performance fees? Empirical evidence from Dutch pension funds," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 299-312.
    5. Broeders, Dirk W.G.A. & van Oord, Arco & Rijsbergen, David R., 2019. "Does it pay to pay performance fees? Empirical evidence from Dutch pension funds," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 299-312.
    6. Broeders, Dirk W.G.A. & van Oord, Arco & Rijsbergen, David R., 2016. "Scale economies in pension fund investments: A dissection of investment costs across asset classes," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 147-171.
    7. Asal, Maher, 2016. "Testing for the presence of skill in Swedish mutual fund performance: Evidence from a bootstrap analysis," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 22-35.
    8. Babalos, Vassilios & Kostakis, Alexandros & Philippas, Nikolaos, 2009. "Managing mutual funds or managing expense ratios? Evidence from the Greek fund industry," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 256-272, October.
    9. Laurie Prather & William J. Bertin & Thomas Henker, 2004. "Mutual fund characteristics, managerial attributes, and fund performance," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(4), pages 305-326.
    10. Christiane Goodfellow & Dirk Schiereck & Steffen Wippler, 2013. "Are behavioural finance equity funds a superior investment? A note on fund performance and market efficiency," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 14(2), pages 111-119, April.
    11. James R. Cummings & David Gallagher, 2016. "Effect of fund size on the performance of Australian superannuation funds," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 56(3), pages 695-725, September.
    12. Gosse A.G. Alserda & Jacob A. Bikker & Fieke S.G. Van Der Lecq, 2018. "X-efficiency and economies of scale in pension fund administration and investment," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(48), pages 5164-5188, October.
    13. Gosse A.G. Alserda & Jacob A. Bikker & Fieke S.G. Van Der Lecq, 2018. "X-efficiency and economies of scale in pension fund administration and investment," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(48), pages 5164-5188, October.
    14. Prather, Laurie & Bertin, William J. & Henker, Thomas, 2004. "Mutual fund characteristics, managerial attributes, and fund performance," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 305-326.
    15. Martin Gold, 2010. "Fiduciary Finance," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13813.
    16. Mercedes Alda & Luis Ferruz, 2012. "The Role of Fees in Pension Fund Performance. Evidence from Spain," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 62(6), pages 518-535, December.
    17. Jacob Bikker & Jan de Dreu, 2006. "Pension fund efficiency: the impact of scale, governance and plan design," DNB Working Papers 109, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    18. Ana C. Díaz†Mendoza & Germán López†Espinosa & Miguel A. Martínez, 2014. "The Efficiency of Performance†Based Fee Funds," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 20(4), pages 825-855, September.
    19. 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.
    20. Babalos, Vassilios & Caporale, Guglielmo Maria & Philippas, Nikolaos, 2012. "Efficiency evaluation of Greek equity funds," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 317-333.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • L0 - Industrial Organization - - General

    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:taf:applec:v:54:y:2022:i:39:p:4501-4518. 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: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RAEC20 .

    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.