Abstract
Basic economic principles suggest that a well-known trading strategy offers little economic profit. In this paper, we investigate whether skilled hedge fund managers are more likely to pursue unique investment strategies that result in superior performance. We propose a measure of the distinctiveness of a fund’s investment strategy based on historical fund return data. Specifically, we examine the extent to which a fund’s returns differ from those of its peer funds. We call the measure the “Strategy Distinctiveness Index” (SDI). The higher the SDI, the more distinctive is a fund’s strategy. We document substantial cross-sectional variations as well as strong persistence over time in funds’ SDI. Our main result indicates that, on average, a higher SDI is associated with better subsequent performance. Funds in the highest SDI quintile significantly outperform funds in the lowest quintile by about 3.5% in the subsequent year after adjusting for risk.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
