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Measuring Managerial Skill in the Mutual Fund Industry

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  • Jonathan B. Berk
  • Jules H. van Binsbergen

Abstract

Using the dollar-value a mutual fund manager adds as the measure of skill, we find that not only does skill exist (the average mutual fund manager adds about $2 million per year), but this skill is persistent, as far out as 10 years. We further document that investors recognize this skill and reward it by investing more capital with skilled managers. Higher skilled managers are paid more and there is a strong positive correlation between current managerial compensation and future performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan B. Berk & Jules H. van Binsbergen, 2012. "Measuring Managerial Skill in the Mutual Fund Industry," NBER Working Papers 18184, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18184
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Duarte-Silva, Tiago & Tripolski Kimel, Maria, 2014. "Testing excess returns on event days: Log returns vs. dollar returns," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 173-182.
    2. Nicolae Gârleanu & Lasse Heje Pedersen, 2018. "Efficiently Inefficient Markets for Assets and Asset Management," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 73(4), pages 1663-1712, August.
    3. Savov, Alexi, 2014. "The price of skill: Performance evaluation by households," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(2), pages 213-231.
    4. Miloš Božović, 2021. "Mutual Fund Performance: Some Recent Evidence From European Equity Funds," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 66(230), pages 7-34, July – Se.
    5. Qiang Bu, 2020. "Investor Sentiment and Mutual Fund Alpha," Journal of Behavioral Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 57-65, January.
    6. Habib, Michel A. & Johnsen, D. Bruce, 2013. "Moral Hazard in Mutual Fund Management: The Quality-Assuring Role of Fees," Working Papers 13-08, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Weiss Center.
    7. Habib, Michel & Johnsen, D. Bruce, 2015. "The quality-assuring role of mutual fund advisory fees," CEPR Discussion Papers 10438, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Mateus, Irina B. & Mateus, Cesario & Todorovic, Natasa, 2019. "Review of new trends in the literature on factor models and mutual fund performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 344-354.
    9. Pástor, Ľuboš & Stambaugh, Robert F. & Taylor, Lucian A., 2015. "Scale and skill in active management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 23-45.
    10. Qiang Bu, 2018. "Long-term negative fund alpha: Is it caused by bad skill or bad luck?," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 32(1), pages 1-16, February.
    11. John H. Cochrane, 2013. "Finance: Function Matters, Not Size," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 27(2), pages 29-50, Spring.
    12. Simonov, Andrey (Симонов, Андрей), 2018. "Strategies and Mechanisms for the Development of Management Companies [Стратегии И Механизмы Развития Управляющих Компаний]," Working Papers 031815, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    13. Habib, Michel A. & Johnsen, D. Bruce, 2016. "The quality-assuring role of mutual fund advisory fees," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 1-19.
    14. Pástor, Ľuboš & Stambaugh, Robert F. & Taylor, Lucian A., 2015. "Scale and skill in active management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 23-45.
    15. Božović, Miloš, 2022. "Recent evidence on the short-term and long-term performance persistence of emerging-market mutual fund returns," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    16. Jun Huang & Albert Y. Wang, 2015. "The Predictability of Managerial Heterogeneities in Mutual Funds," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 44(4), pages 947-979, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G2 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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