Are US-Dollar-Hedged-ETF Investors Aggressive on Exchange Rates? A Panel VAR Approach
Shank, C. A., & Vianna, A. C. (2016). Are US-Dollar-Hedged-ETF investors aggressive on exchange rates? A panel VAR approach. Research in International Business and Finance, 38, 430-438.
21 Pages Posted: 21 May 2016 Last revised: 2 Feb 2017
Date Written: May 15, 2016
Abstract
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are a multi-trillion dollar market that epitomizes financialization due to its recent growth. This study examines the behavior of U.S. listed currency hedged ETF investors towards changes in the underlying benchmark and foreign exchange rate from July 2011 to November 2015 using a panel VAR approach. We find that investors are able to anticipate changes in future exchange rates and invest in currency hedged ETFs prior to changes. Granger-causality tests confirm that these investors proactively trade before large real exchange rate movements. These results suggest that the use of financial instruments such as ETFs to hedge against exchange rate volatility may have itself become a source of volatility, which have implications for the further financialization of the ETF industry.
Keywords: ETFs, Financialization, Trading Volume, Exchange Rates, Investor Behavior
JEL Classification: E44, F31, G11, G12
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation