We document a curious feature of the German mutual fund industry. Unlike U.S. mutual funds, funds domiciled in Germany do not necessarily compute their net asset values (NAV) as of market close. Using a sample of German equity funds, we infer each fund’s NAV closing time from the best-fit market model using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation. The results of both approaches coincide...

This paper examines the relationship between seasonality, idiosyncratic risk and mutual fund returns using multifactor models. We use a large sample containing the return histories of 728 UK mutual funds over a 23-year period to measure fund performance. We present evidence that idiosyncratic risk cannot be eliminated, we also find evidence of seasonality in all fund categories. Specifically, w...

This research studies the performance appraisal system of mutual fund managers in Taiwan. 147 mutual fund managers were investigated in examining the performance appraisal system of mutual fund managers. This article describes using a Genetic Algorithm to evaluate the optimal performance in appraising mutual fund managers in the asymmetric information market in Taiwan. The optimum performance u...

It is a well-known fact that actively managed mutual funds on average underperform passive benchmarks. In this paper, we use the stochastic dominance test proposed by Linton, Maasoumi, and Whang (2005) to shed new light on mutual fund performance on average and across styles. This test evaluates mutual fund performance using a non-parametric framework that 1) imposes a minimal set of conditions...