Abstract

We investigated fund operating characteristics that cause fund companies to perform fund exit decisions and at what point of funds’ lifecycles apply to fund liquidation or mergers. We also examined whether extra variable causes an important determinant effect and how fund operating characteristics before and after fund liquidations or mergers change. The empirical results show that: (1) the factors that affect within-family mergers are fund performance and flow from both cross-section and time-series views. The total net assets affect within-family mergers just in a cross-section analysis, not a lifecycle characteristic in a time-series analysis. Moreover, we found that performance volatility also affects exit decisions. The expense ratio and fund age are not the determinants for three type fund exits in Taiwanese onshore funds. (2) For the liquidation, total net assets, flow, performance volatility, and mid-term buy-hold returns have a significantly negative relationship with the fund liquidations from both the cross-section and time-series views. (3) In general, cross-family fund mergers are potentially conducted for strategic considerations rather than based on specific factors. (4) The performance volatility level before and following mergers was substantial and significant for within-family fund mergers; the expense ratio level before mergers was significant greater than following mergers for cross-family fund mergers.

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