Optimal fund menus. (3rd December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cvitanić, Jakša; Hugonnier, Julien
• Is Part Of: Mathematical finance. Volume 32:Number 2(2022)
• Page Start: 455
• Page End: 516
• Publication Date: 2021-12-03
• Subjects: asset bundling -- linear pricing -- mutual fund menus -- screening; Business mathematics -- Periodicals; 332
• DOI: 10.1111/mafi.12341
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-1627

Abstract

Abstract: We study the optimal design of a menu of funds by a manager who is required to use linear pricing and does not observe the beliefs of investors regarding one of the risky assets. The optimal menu involves bundling of assets and can be constructed from the solution to a calculus of variations problem that optimizes over the indirect utility that each type receives. We provide a complete characterization of the optimal menu and show that the need to maintain incentive compatibility leads the manager to offer funds that are inefficiently tilted towards the asset that is not subject to the information friction.