Quasi-hedge funds market in Poland in view of their performance persistence

Abstract

Performance persistence analysis is important as it has a decisive influence on investor allocation decisions. Investors can use quasi-hedge funds’ persistence to build effective investment strategies. Thus, the paper explores performance persistence of quasi-hedge funds operating at the Polish capital market. The methodology is based on constructing the new market performance index intended only for absolute return funds. It is validated regarding absolute returns of Polish quasi-hedge funds. The Absolute Return Index (ARI) is used to rate quasi-hedge funds’ performance persistence in assessing their fundamental purpose: to deliver consistently positive returns in all market conditions. For this, their quarterly return rates are used. All 53 funds operating for at least 36 months and representing 48.2% of the entire segment of absolute return funds are analyzed. The use of ARI allows examining quasi-hedge funds’ performance persistence in terms of market changes and the assessment of their purpose. In the short term (6 months) profitability remained persistent, while in the long term (12 months) such a hypothesis could be refuted. More than 40% of funds showed positive persistence within six months; only positive persistence occurred in the short term. 9.4% of funds repeatedly obtained negative returns, so absolute return funds’ negative performance persisted neither in the short nor long term. Closed-ended investment funds showed much stronger persistence of above-average positive returns, which additionally tended to avoid repeating negative returns in two-quarter and four-quarter series. This confirms the assumption that in this respect the Polish market is similar to the developed ones.