The Impact of Mutual Fund Family Membership on Investor Risk

34 Pages Posted: 4 Nov 2008

See all articles by Edwin J. Elton

Edwin J. Elton

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance

Martin J. Gruber

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance

T. Clifton Green

Emory University - Department of Finance

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: December 2004

Abstract

Many investors confine their mutual fund holdings to a single fund family, either for simplicity or through restrictions placed by their retirement savings plan. We find evidence that mutual fund returns are more closely correlated within than between fund families. As a result, restricting investment to one fund family leads to a greater total portfolio risk than diversifying across fund families. The increased correlation is dueprimarily to common stock holdings, but is also more generally related to families having similar exposures to economic sectors or industries. Fund families also show a propensity to focus on high risk or low risk strategies, which leads to a greater dispersion of risk across restricted investors. An investor considering adding an additional fund either inside or outside the family would need to believe the inside fund offered an additional 50 to 70 basis points in return to achieve the same Sharpe ratio.

Suggested Citation

Elton, Edwin J. and Gruber, Martin J. and Green, T. Clifton, The Impact of Mutual Fund Family Membership on Investor Risk (December 2004). NYU Working Paper No. SC-AM-05-01, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1295167

Edwin J. Elton (Contact Author)

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance ( email )

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Martin J. Gruber

New York University (NYU) - Department of Finance ( email )

44 West 4th Street
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T. Clifton Green

Emory University - Department of Finance ( email )

1300 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30322-2710
United States
404-727-5167 (Phone)
404-727-5238 (Fax)

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