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Are Mutual Fund Managers Paid For Investment Skill?

Author

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  • Kaniel, Ron
  • Ibert, Markus
  • Van Nieuwerburgh, Stijn
  • Vestman, Roine

Abstract

Compensation of mutual fund managers is paramount to understanding agency frictions in asset delegation. We collect a unique registry-based dataset on the compensation of Swedish mutual fund managers. We find a concave relationship between pay and revenue, in contrast to how investors compensate the fund company (firm). We also find a surprisingly weak sensitivity of pay to performance, even after accounting for the indirect effects of performance on revenue. Firm-level fixed effects, revenues, and profits add substantial explanatory power for compensation.

Suggested Citation

  • Kaniel, Ron & Ibert, Markus & Van Nieuwerburgh, Stijn & Vestman, Roine, 2017. "Are Mutual Fund Managers Paid For Investment Skill?," CEPR Discussion Papers 12241, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:12241
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Portfolio manager compensation; Mutual fund performance; Financial sector income;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G00 - Financial Economics - - General - - - General
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations

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