Finding Fortune: How Do Institutional Investors Pick Asset Managers?
Review of Financial Studies, Forthcoming
59 Pages Posted: 21 Jun 2016 Last revised: 13 Apr 2023
Date Written: September 20, 2022
Abstract
We propose and test a framework of private information acquisition and decision timing for asset allocators hiring outside investment managers. Using unique data on due diligence interactions between an institutional allocator and 860 hedge fund managers, we find that the production of private information complements public information. The allocator strategically chooses how much proprietary information to collect, reducing due diligence time by 18 months and improving outcomes. Selected funds outperform unselected funds by 9% over 20 months. The outperformance relates to the allocator learning about fund return-to-scale constraints and manager skill before other investors.
Keywords: Asset Management, Hedge Funds, Decreasing Return to Scale, Due Diligence, Information Choice, Institutional Investors, Learning, Private Information
JEL Classification: D81, D83, G11, G23
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation