Mutual funds are usually classified based on their stated objectives. If the stated objectives are not the actual objectives the funds pursue, conclusions drawn by investors and researchers based on the stated objectives will be misleading. This study classifies funds based on their attributes (characteristics, investment style, and risk/return measures). We find that the stated objectives of m...

We study standard mutual fund performance measures, using simulated funds whose characteristics mimic actual funds. We find that performance measures used in previous mutual fund research have little ability to detect economically large magnitudes ~e.g., three percent per year! of abnormal fund performance, particularly if a fund’s style characteristics differ from those of the value-weighted m...

Existing literature has found no evidence of market-timing ability by mutual funds using tests based on fund returns. This paper proposes alternative market-timing tests based on observed fund holdings. The holdings-based measures are shown to be more powerful than the return-based measures, and are not subject to “artificial timing” bias. Applying the holdings-based tests, we find strong evide...

For pension schemes, mutual funds, banks and other financial intermediaries, large portfolio decisions are increasingly delegated to fund managers. Recently, there has been growing concern that these managers seem to adopt extremely similar investment strategies. One possible explanation for this phenomenon may be found in reward schemes based on relative performance. We show how relative perfo...

Mutual funds provide various facilities that make saving and investing simple, accessible, and affordable, by using professional management, diversification, variety of products, liquidity, affordability, convenience, and ease of record keeping. Moreover, strict government regulation and full disclosure of information makes the investments more secure in India. In Mutual fund market the key are...