Liquidity Risk and Economies of Scale in Funds of Hedge Funds

Journal of Alternative Investments, Fall 2014, 17 (2) 51-67, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3905/jai.2014.17.2.051

Posted: 1 Feb 2013 Last revised: 30 Jun 2021

See all articles by Hany A. Shawky

Hany A. Shawky

State University of New York at Albany - School of Business and Center for Institutional Investment Management

Ying Wang

State University of New York at Albany - School of Business

Date Written: January 30, 2013

Abstract

Using data from the Lipper/TASS hedge fund database over the period 1994-2011, we examine the impact of liquidity risk on the relationship between size and performance for funds of hedge funds (FOFs). We first confirm a significant positive size effect for FOFs. More importantly, once liquidity risk is accounted for, this scale effect is more pronounced among FOFs with lower liquidity risk. Specifically, for FOFs in the lowest liquidity risk quintile, the largest funds significantly outperform the smallest funds by an average eight-factor alpha of 4.7% per year; for FOFs in the highest liquidity risk quintile, however, we do not find a significant relationship between size and performance. To the extent that more illiquid FOFs exhibit higher liquidity risk, the results provide evidence in support of the 'liquidity' hypothesis that size does not erode, but instead help improve performance since FOFs do not directly manage portfolios of securities and thus are less affected by the liquidity costs associated with trading a large portfolio.

Keywords: liquidity risk, fund of hedge funds, asset size, performance, economies of scale

JEL Classification: G12, G14, G23

Suggested Citation

Shawky, Hany A. and Wang, Ying, Liquidity Risk and Economies of Scale in Funds of Hedge Funds (January 30, 2013). Journal of Alternative Investments, Fall 2014, 17 (2) 51-67, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3905/jai.2014.17.2.051, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2209470 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2209470

Hany A. Shawky

State University of New York at Albany - School of Business and Center for Institutional Investment Management ( email )

School of Business
1400 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12222
United States
518-442-4921 (Phone)
518-442-3944 (Fax)

Ying Wang (Contact Author)

State University of New York at Albany - School of Business ( email )

1400 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12222
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Abstract Views
1,028
PlumX Metrics