Misspecifications in the fund flow-performance relationship

Abstract

This study shows the importance of return discrimination between funds in the flow-performance relationship. To do so, we employ objective-adjusted returns rather than performance ranks. We demonstrate that the net flow-performance relationship is a direct consequence of the convex inflow- and outflow-performance relationships, and that fund size and age have no significant effect on these relationships. When we measure past performance using 12-month objective-adjusted returns, we find a linear net flow-performance relationship after controlling for the investor-substitution effect.