The Investment Behavior of Buyout Funds: Theory and Evidence

44 Pages Posted: 20 Dec 2003 Last revised: 4 Sep 2017

See all articles by Alexander Ljungqvist

Alexander Ljungqvist

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); Swedish House of Finance; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Matthew P. Richardson

Department of Finance, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University

Daniel Wolfenzon

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 4 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 3, 2017

Abstract

We analyze the determinants of buyout funds’ investment decisions. We argue that when the supply of capital is ‘sticky’ in the short run, the timing of funds’ investment decisions, their risk-taking behavior, and their subsequent returns depend on changes in the demand for private equity, conditions in the credit market, and fund managers’ ability to influence perceptions of their talent. We investigate these hypotheses using a proprietary dataset of 207 U.S. buyout funds that invested in 1,957 buyout targets over a thirty-year period. Our dataset contains precisely dated cash inflows and outflows in every portfolio company, links every buyout target to an identifiable buyout fund, and is free from reporting and survivor biases. Thus, we are able to characterize every buyout fund’s precise investment choices. Our findings are as follows. First, established funds accelerate their investment flows and earn higher returns when investment opportunities improve, competition for deal flow eases, and credit market conditions loosen. Second, the investment behavior of first-time funds is less sensitive to market conditions. Third, younger funds invest in riskier buyouts, in an effort to establish a track record. Finally, following periods of good performance, funds become more conservative, and this effect is stronger for first-time funds.

Keywords: Private equity; Buyout funds; Alternative investments; Fund management

JEL Classification: G23, G11

Suggested Citation

Ljungqvist, Alexander and Ljungqvist, Alexander and Richardson, Matthew P. and Wolfenzon, Daniel, The Investment Behavior of Buyout Funds: Theory and Evidence (September 3, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=478061 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.478061

Alexander Ljungqvist (Contact Author)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Swedish House of Finance ( email )

Drottninggatan 98
111 60 Stockholm
Sweden

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
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Belgium

Matthew P. Richardson

Department of Finance, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University ( email )

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Daniel Wolfenzon

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Finance ( email )

3022 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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