Abstract
Defined benefit pension funds invest in illiquid asset classes for return, diversification or liability hedging reasons. So far, little is known about factors influencing how much they invest in illiquid assets. We conjecture that liquidity and capital requirements are pivotal in this decision. Short-term pension payments and margining on derivative contracts generate liquidity requirements, while regulations impose capital requirements. Consistent with our model we empirically find that these requirements create a hump-shaped impact of liability duration on the fraction of risky assets invested in illiquid assets. Further, we report that pension fund size, type, and funding ratio impact illiquid assets allocations.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1474747219000398 |
Pages (from-to) | 102-124 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | Journal of Pension Economics & Finance |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2021 |
JEL classifications
- g23 - "Pension Funds; Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors"
- g11 - "Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions"
Keywords
- Illiquid assets
- asset allocation
- asset liability management
- capital requirements
- liquidity requirements
- pension funds
- INVESTMENT POLICY
- RISK-MANAGEMENT
- PERFORMANCE
- LIABILITIES
- illiquid assets
- Asset allocation
- SCALE