Can Investors Benefit from the Performance of Alternative UCITS Funds?

Financial Markets and Portfolio Management (DOI: 10.1007/s11408-016-0283-7)

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 Last revised: 24 Sep 2018

See all articles by Michael Busack

Michael Busack

Absolut Research GmbH

Wolfgang Drobetz

University of Hamburg

Jan Tille

Absolut Research GmbH

Date Written: June 1, 2016

Abstract

We study the performance persistence of a large sample of alternative UCITS funds that is largely free of survivorship bias. Using contingency tables, we find that performance persists for up to two years following ranking. However, persistence is much stronger in the short run, and ranked portfolio tests indicate that investors profit from the persistence for only up to one year. For example, when quartile portfolios are formed based on funds' prior 52-week Sharpe ratios, the top quartile outperforms the bottom quartile over the following 52 weeks by 3.2% per annum, measured by a seven-factor alpha. Furthermore, we link several fund characteristics to performance persistence, and find that offshore experience greatly enhances persistence, both statistically and economically.

Keywords: Alternative mutual funds, UCITS fund, hedge funds, performance measurement, performance persistence

JEL Classification: G11, G14, G23

Suggested Citation

Busack, Michael and Drobetz, Wolfgang and Tille, Jan, Can Investors Benefit from the Performance of Alternative UCITS Funds? (June 1, 2016). Financial Markets and Portfolio Management (DOI: 10.1007/s11408-016-0283-7), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2583728 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2583728

Michael Busack

Absolut Research GmbH ( email )

Grosse Elbstr. 277a
Hamburg, 22767
Germany
+4940303779-0 (Phone)
+4940303779-15 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.absolut-research.de

Wolfgang Drobetz

University of Hamburg ( email )

Moorweidenstrasse 18
Hamburg, 20148
Germany

Jan Tille (Contact Author)

Absolut Research GmbH ( email )

Grosse Elbstr. 277
Hamburg, 22767
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.absolut-research.de

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