Preferences for Stock Characteristics as Revealed by Mutual Fund Portfolio Holdings

Abstract

This investigation of the cross‐section of mutual fund equity holdings for the years 1991 and 1992 shows that mutual funds have a significant preference towards stocks with high visibility and low transaction costs, and are averse to stocks with low idiosyncratic volatility. These findings are relevant to theories concerning investor recognition, a potential agency problem in mutual funds, tests of trend‐following and herd behavior by mutual funds, and corporate finance.