Load and no-load mutual fund dynamics during the 1987 market crash: A stochastic dominance analysis

Using a large sample of equity mutual fund returns, we compare performance of load and no-load funds during the 1987 crash. Differences in return distributions, particularly in the higher moments when the market was under stress, suggest a greater use of portfolio insurance by no-load fund managers. Using stochastic dominance, we find that load and no-load funds performed equally well before the crash. No-load returns dominated load fund returns during the crash. Load fund returns dominate after the crash. Over the entire month, no-load funds dominate. We attribute this to investor behavior motivated by the lack of a front-end load. Copyright Springer 1999