Timing Ability of China Mutual Fund Investors

This paper considers 250 funds between 2001 Q4 and 2009 Q2. The funds included must have data for at least eight quarters. By comparing dollar-weighted average return and geometric average return of a fund, the paper shows that fund investors always have inferior ability on timing. Their worst performance is related to a fund's larger size, higher subscription fee, better ratings, and higher geometric average returns. Funds of the above characteristics may easily draw the attention of less-informed investors and trigger their timing behavior. As a result, they buy at high prices and sell at low prices.