Performance persistence in fixed interest funds: With an eye on the post-debt crisis period

We examine performance persistence in a sample of Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain (PIGS) government debt mutual funds. Performance persistence is measured for short-, medium-, and long-term periods using the conditional CAPM, the Sharpe ratio, and a modified version of the Sharpe ratio. “Cold hands” are found for both short- and medium-term periods, with non-parametric testing reinforcing our findings. While “hot hands” are proven a close second place, in the long-run performance persistence is gradually weakened. Ex-post tests, based on performance persistence results, suggest the possibility to achieve superior performance relative to the market average by sticking to winner and avoiding loser funds.