Performance of Taiwanese Domestic Equity Funds during Quantitative Easing

Abstract

This study is the first to analyze the performance of Taiwanese domestic equity funds between January 2009 and October 2014, the period during which quantitative redirected capital flows toward developing economies and the Taiwanese Stock Exchange Weighted Index compounded at approximately 12.9% annually. Adopting methods endorsed by earlier research, we evaluated 15 Taiwanese equity funds’ performance relative to market averages using the Sharpe (1966) and Treynor (1965) ratios and Jensen’s alpha method (1968). To test market timing proficiency, we applied the Treynor and Mazuy (1966) and Henriksson and Merton (1981) regression analysis methods. Jensen’s alpha method (1968) was used to measure fund managers’ stock selection skills. Results revealed that funds significantly under-performed Taiwan’s average annual market return and demonstrated no exceptional stock-selection skills and market timing proficiency during the era of quantitative easing.