In this paper, we investigate the performance persistence of hedge funds over time horizons between 6 and 36 months based on a merged sample from the Lipper/TASS and CISDM databases for the time period from 1994 to 2008. Unlike previous literature, we use a panel probit regression approach to...

We introduce a new holdings-based procedure to identify whether a mutual fund has a benchmark discrepancy, which we define as a benchmark other than the prospectus benchmark best matching a fund's investment strategy. We find that funds with a benchmark discrepancy tend to be riskier than their...

Mutual funds’ maximum drawdowns are persistent, indicative of manager skill, and predictive of subsequent performance. Among funds with relatively strong past performance, those with relatively low past maximum drawdowns, on average, have an out of sample alpha of 2.40% per year. That alpha is...

Mutual funds’ maximum drawdowns (MDDs) are persistent, indicative of manager skill, and predictive of subsequent performance. Among funds with relatively strong past performance, those with relatively low past MDDs, on average, have an out-of-sample alpha of 2.40% per year. That alpha is...

This paper investigates the alpha generation of the hedge fund industry based on a recent sample compiled from the Lipper/TASS database covering the time period from January 1994 to September 2008. We find a positive average hedge fund alpha in the cross-section for the majority of strategies...