Cathy Woods isnt the problem....Shes a stud-ette
ARKK’s ETF flows indicate the average investor in the fund is underwater. StoneX market strategist, Vincent Deluard, summed up why in a recent report.
“The ARK Innovation ETF has returned 346% since its inception but no value has been created due to flows’ poor timing,” he writes.
Every day, ETF companies are required to publish the total shares outstanding for each product they manage. Changes in shares outstanding are based upon a daily creation and redemption process influenced by market demand. By tracking a time series of shares outstanding, we can see what investor flows look like.
In the chart below, we can see how the peak in shares outstanding (4/15/21) occurred shortly after the ETF’s all-time high in performance (2/18/21). In other words,
a ton of capital herded into the fund right before performance turned south.
Source: Bloomberg
SILVERLIGHT ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
Cathie Wood isn’t the first star manager to deliver negative returns to their pool of investors. In fact, we’ve seen this story several times before.
For instance, Peter Lynch managed the Fidelity Magellan Fund from 1977 to 1990, generating about a 29% average annualized return. Yet, according to a
study by Fidelity Investments, the average investor in the Magellan Fund managed to
lose money over that period.
The problem? Investors tended to buy the fund after hot performance streaks and sell after cold streaks ensued.
Ken Heebner’s CGM Focus Fund gained 18% annually from 2000 – 2009, ranking as the top performing mutual fund tracked by Morningstar.
Yet, the average investor lost 11% per year due to poor timing (source:
Wall Street Journal).
Market timing mistakes are common beyond the realm of star managers, too. For decades, the research firm DALBAR has published reports profiling investor behavior. They find the average investor switches strategies too often (“chasing heat”), under-allocates to equities, and sells at inopportune times. As a result, the average investor underperforms compared to broad market averages.
From 2000 – 2019, DALBAR found the average equity fund investor achieved a 4.3% annual return compared to 6.1% return for the S&P 500 index. Meanwhile, the average bond investor achieved a 0.5% return compared to a 5.0% return for the Bloomberg Barclays Bond index.
One thing that makes sticking to any investment strategy particularly hard is volatility. For instance, the CGM Focus Fund has historically exhibited an above-average beta (a measure of market sensitivity), as does ARKK.
On the other hand, Berkshire Hathaway shares have historically exhibited a below-average beta. That partly explains why Warren Buffett has been able to attract sticky shareholders over the years.