We examine the role of high-water mark provisions in hedge fund compensation contracts. In our model of competitive markets and asymmetric information on manager ability, a fee contract with a high-water mark can improve the quality of the manager pool entering the market. In addition, a...

We undertake a comprehensive analysis of onshore and offshore hedge funds to study the effects of fund regulation and investor clienteles on a fund's share restrictions, asset liquidity, flow-performance sensitivity, and performance. Liquid asset holdings and share restrictions on investor...

We examine liquidity transformation by funds of hedge funds (FoFs) by developing a new measure, illiquidity gap, which captures the mismatch between the liquidity of their portfolios and the liquidity available to their investors. We find that higher liquidity transformation is driven by FoFs'...

We find that socially responsible investment (SRI) policies are more common among the endowments of universities that face greater stakeholder pressure to adopt such policies and depend more on donations to fund operations. SRI policies result in cumulative abnormal donations of 6% of endowment...

Using Form PF filings over 2013–2017, we find that funds maintain higher levels of cash holdings and available borrowing (“liquidity buffers”) when they hold more illiquid assets, have shorter-term commitments from investors and creditors, and when market volatility is greater. We also...