Risk-Adjusting the Returns of Private Equity Using the CAPM and Multi-Factor Extensions

19 Pages Posted: 17 Oct 2015

Date Written: October 16, 2015

Abstract

This paper develops a novel Public Market Equivalent (PME) measure to evaluate the risk-adjusted performance of private equity investments using the standard CAPM and multi-factor extensions. Using a comprehensive sample of 7,732 fully realized venture capital investments, the paper estimates PMEs using the standard CAPM, the Fama-French three-factor model, and a four-factor model that also includes the Pastor-Stambaugh traded liquidity factor. The results highlight that venture capital investments substantially outperform traded stocks and that their returns resemble those of small growth stocks. Additionally, the results show that the exposure of venture capital returns to the traded liquidity factor is negligible.

Keywords: venture capital, Public Market Equivalent, CAPM, multi-factor models

JEL Classification: G12, G23, G24

Suggested Citation

Buchner, Axel, Risk-Adjusting the Returns of Private Equity Using the CAPM and Multi-Factor Extensions (October 16, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2675152 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2675152

Axel Buchner (Contact Author)

ESCP Business School ( email )

Heubnerweg 8-10
Berlin, AK Berlin 14059
Germany

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

Paper statistics

Downloads
477
Abstract Views
1,554
Rank
110,073
PlumX Metrics