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Rehabilitating the Role of Active Management for Pension Funds

Author

Listed:
  • Michel Aglietta

    (CEPII - Centre d'Etudes Prospectives et d'Informations Internationales - Centre d'analyse stratégique, EconomiX - EconomiX - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Marie Brière

    (LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Sandra Rigot

    (CEPN - Centre d'Economie de l'Université Paris Nord - UP13 - Université Paris 13 - USPC - Université Sorbonne Paris Cité - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Ombretta Signori

    (AXA France - AXA)

Abstract

Pension fund return s can be decomposed into different sources, including market movements, asset allo-cation policy, and active portfolio management. We use a unique database covering the asset allocations of US defined-benefit pension funds for the perio d 1990–2008, and we test the role of each factor in explaining their return s. Our results shed new light on pension funds' sources of performance. While the previous literature emphasized that policy allocation accounts for the bulk of returns, leaving little room for active management, we show that taking explicit account of market movement can change the results significantly. Although active management plays a minor role in global asset allocat ion, its role is predominant in explaining returns to individual asset classes, whether traditional or alternative. This paper rehabilitates the contribution of active managem ent as a source of performance for pension funds, at least at the asset class level.

Suggested Citation

  • Michel Aglietta & Marie Brière & Sandra Rigot & Ombretta Signori, 2012. "Rehabilitating the Role of Active Management for Pension Funds," Post-Print hal-01493326, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01493326
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ebrahim, M. Shahid & Mathur, Ike & ap Gwilym, Rhys, 2014. "Integrating corporate ownership and pension fund structures: A general equilibrium approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 553-569.
    2. Boon, L.N. & Brière, M. & Rigot, S., 2018. "Regulation and pension fund risk-taking," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 23-41.
    3. Mercedes Alda, 2021. "The dilemma between fund‐style consistency and active management over the economic cycle. Evidence from pension funds," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 2219-2240, April.
    4. Yang, Tingting & Huang, Xiaoxia, 2022. "Active or passive portfolio: A tracking error analysis under uncertainty theory," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 309-326.
    5. Ofer Arbaa & Uri Benzion, 2016. "Asset Allocation or Active Management ? Evidence from Israeli Provident Funds," Accounting and Finance Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 5(4), pages 105-105, November.
    6. Artiga González, Tanja & van Lelyveld, Iman & Lučivjanská, Katarína, 2020. "Pension fund equity performance: Patience, activity or both?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    7. Doyle, Joanne & Eades, Kenneth & Marshall, Brooks, 2021. "Estimating the effect of active management and private equity for defined benefit pension funds," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 161-169.
    8. Tristan Auvray & Cédric Durand & Joel Rabinovich & Cecilia Rikap, 2021. "Corporate financialization’s conservation and transformation: from Mark I to Mark II," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 2(3), pages 431-457, December.
    9. Ofer Arbaa & Eva Varon, 2017. "Do the Israeli Provident Funds have the Ability to Time the Bond and Stock Markets? An Analysis across Alternative Investments," Accounting and Finance Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 6(2), pages 169-169, May.
    10. Gökçen, Umut & Yalçın, Atakan, 2015. "The case against active pension funds: Evidence from the Turkish Private Pension System," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 46-67.
    11. Boermans, Martijn A. & Galema, Rients, 2019. "Are pension funds actively decarbonizing their portfolios?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 50-60.
    12. Peillex, Jonathan & Erragragui, Elias & Bitar, Mohammad & Benlemlih, Mohammed, 2019. "The contribution of market movements, asset allocation and active management to Islamic equity funds’ performance," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 32-38.
    13. repec:mth:ijafr8:v:9:y:2019:i:1:p:366-378 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Boubaker, Sabri & Gounopoulos, Dimitrios & Nguyen, Duc Khuong & Paltalidis, Nikos, 2015. "Assessing the effects of unconventional monetary policy on pension funds risk incentives," MPRA Paper 73398, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Aug 2016.

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