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Steering a Ship in Illiquid Waters: Active Management of Passive Funds

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  • Naz Koont
  • Yiming Ma
  • Lubos Pastor
  • Yao Zeng

Abstract

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are typically viewed as passive index trackers. In contrast, we show that corporate bond ETFs actively manage their portfolios, trading off index tracking against liquidity transformation. In our model, ETFs optimally choose creation and redemption baskets that include cash and only a subset of index assets, especially if those assets are illiquid. Our evidence supports the model. We find that ETFs dynamically adjust their baskets to correct portfolio imbalances while facilitating ETF arbitrage. Basket inclusion improves bond liquidity in general, but worsens it in periods of large imbalance between creations and redemptions, such as the COVID-19 crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Naz Koont & Yiming Ma & Lubos Pastor & Yao Zeng, 2022. "Steering a Ship in Illiquid Waters: Active Management of Passive Funds," NBER Working Papers 30039, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:30039
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Caitlin D Dannhauser & Saeid Hoseinzade, 2022. "The Unintended Consequences of Corporate Bond ETFs: Evidence from the Taper Tantrum," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 35(1), pages 51-90.
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    3. Itzhak Ben‐David & Francesco Franzoni & Rabih Moussawi, 2018. "Do ETFs Increase Volatility?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 73(6), pages 2471-2535, December.
    4. O'Hara, Maureen & Zhou, Xing (Alex), 2021. "Anatomy of a liquidity crisis: Corporate bonds in the COVID-19 crisis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(1), pages 46-68.
    5. Falato, Antonio & Goldstein, Itay & Hortaçsu, Ali, 2021. "Financial fragility in the COVID-19 crisis: The case of investment funds in corporate bond markets," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 35-52.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors

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