Asset fire sales (and purchases) in equity markets
By: Joshua Coval, Erik Stafford
Contributors: Stafford, Erik; Harvard Business School. Division of Research
Series: Working paper / Division of Research, Harvard Business School -- 05-077; Working paper (Harvard Business School. Division of Research) -- 05-077
Publisher: Division of Research, Harvard Business School
Published: 2005
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 41
Subjects: Mutual funds; Prices; Econometric models
Description: This paper examines asset fire sales, and institutional price pressure more generally, in equity markets, using market prices of mutual fund transactions caused by capital flows from 1980 to 2003. Funds experiencing large outflows (inflows) tend to decrease (increase) existing positions, which creates price pressure in the securities held in common by these funds. Forced transactions represent a significant cost of financial distress for mutual funds. We find that investors who trade against constrained mutual funds earn highly significant returns for providing liquidity when few others are willing or able. In addition, future flow-driven transactions are predictable, creating an incentive to front-run the anticipated forced trades by funds experiencing extreme capital flows.
Notes: "May 2005"--Added t.p.

Includes bibliographical references.