Ratings-Driven Demand and Systematic Price Fluctuations

A-Tier
Journal: The Review of Financial Studies
Year: 2022
Volume: 35
Issue: 6
Pages: 2790-2838

Authors (4)

Itzhak Ben-David (Ohio State University) Jiacui Li (not in RePEc) Andrea Rossi (not in RePEc) Yang Song (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We show that mutual fund ratings generate correlated demand that creates systematic price fluctuations. Mutual fund investors chase fund performance via Morningstar ratings. Until June 2002, funds pursuing the same investment style had highly correlated ratings. Therefore, rating-chasing investors directed capital into winning styles, generating style-level price pressures, which reverted over time. In June 2002, Morningstar reformed its methodology of equalizing ratings across styles. Style-level correlated demand via mutual funds immediately became muted, significantly altering the time-series and cross-sectional variation in style returns.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:rfinst:v:35:y:2022:i:6:p:2790-2838.
Journal Field
Finance
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-24