Changjun Lee

Equity Fund Performance Persistence with Investment Style: Evidence from Korea

Using a comprehensive database on equity funds in Korea, we investigate the performance and performance persistence with investment style employing the Fama and French three-factor model and the Carhart four-factor model. The paper finds that most investment styles in Korea noticeably outperform the passive benchmarks. In addition, positive performance persistence is observed among funds investing in large-cap stocks and stocks of high past performance. Finally, outperformance and positive performance persistence of equity funds are still present in various ranking and postranking horizons. These empirical findings are in sharp contrast with results from earlier studies on markets in developed countries, such as the United States.

State-Dependent Illiquidity Premium in the Korean Stock Market

ABSTRACT We study the relation between the illiquidity premium and economic states in the Korean stock market. We find that aggregate market liquidity improves following real economic expansions and expansive monetary states and worsens after economic recessions and restrictive monetary states. The improved liquidity in the expansion–expansive state generates a huge illiquidity premium, while an illiquidity premium does not exist in the recession–restrictive state. As a result, the observed illiquidity premium displays strong state-dependent variations. Our empirical results indicate that a significant unconditional illiquidity premium in the Korean stock market arises due to a substantial illiquidity premium in the expansion–expansive state.