This thesis focuses on private information dissemination and its impacts on financial markets. Specifically, we study issues arising when there are skilled individuals able to extract anticipative information about future prices. The first model considers a continuous time economy that is populated by informed and uninformed investors as well as active unskilled investors, and investigates the existence of noisy rational expectations equilibria and their properties. Equilibria are derived in closed form and their properties analyzed. Informed trading is found to reduce price volatility. The second model is based on the idea that besides exploiting their private information for trading purposes, informed agents might want to offer wealth management services to uninformed investors in exchange for a fee. A market for active funds emerges, and the process of anticipative information dissemination is endogenized. In this chapter, heterogenous risk averse investors can invest in the active fund. Low risk tolerance investors are found to be strictly better off with the active fund. Fund size is not a reliable indicator of managerial skill. The market reacts to the manager's increasing risk-taking behavior by reducing the volatility and risk premium.

Following the development and popularity of mutual funds among Swedish investors, the question of active fund management and return has become a central issue for private investors. 99 percent of the Swedish population invests in mutual funds, comprising a total net fund value of almost 2,000 billion SEK. The idea behind active management is for a charged fee, to generate a return higher than the return of the market. But statistics indicate a low level of competition between the largest providers and only one out of ten funds performs better than its index. Financial instability due to the last decade’s two recessions has indeed caused fluctuating performance of actively managed Swedish mutual funds. It has also spurred academics to investigate the role and effect of active management and attached management fees. The main purpose of this research is to investigate if there exist differences between the performance of benchmark indices and the performance of actively managed equity funds, balanced funds and money market funds provided by seven Swedish banks; Folksam, Länsförsäkringar, Handelsbanken, Nordea, SEB, Skandia and Swedbank. We also seek to investigate if the level of fee and total risk affect the fund performance. The research was deductively conducted with a quantitative method of inquiry. The ontological and epistemological positions are objectivism and positivism. Our sample of 21 Swedish mutual funds, with daily price observations was investigated between 2004 and 2011, with a division of four subperiods. To answer our research question and sub-questions, ten fictive portfolios were created and five hypotheses were formulated based on previous research and theories within the field. The data was analyzed with paired samples T-tests and multiple linear regression analyses. The portfolios included three risk-adjusted fund performance measures and Value at Risk.     We have concluded that on average both balanced funds and money market funds have performed worse than their benchmark indices in the period 2004 to 2011. The equity funds have also performed worse than their benchmark index but the difference is not statistically significant. The balanced funds had the highest return, the money market funds second highest return and equity funds the lowest return. Supported by the multiple regression analyses, we have concluded that fund performance is negatively related to the level of total risk in the period 2004 to 2011. There is no statistical relationship between fund performance and fund provider. We finally conclude that fund return during the entire investigation period, is negatively related to management fees.

Background: In Sweden one of the most common ways of saving money is through funds and investors have many options to choose between. It depends on the risks you are willing to take, the expected return and size of management fees. The fees charged by the management company varies a lot depending on if the funds are managed actively or passively. During the recent years there have been discussions about which type of fund management will be the most profitable in relation to the fee. Actively managed funds are in general more expensive than passively managed. Object: The purpose of this study is to analyze if there is any relationship between the fee and the return while considering the risk. Furthermore, it will be analyzed if actively or passively managed funds generate higher return considering the fees, and if the actively managed funds succeedtheir benchmark index or not. The aim is to find out which type of fund management is the most appropriate to receive the highest return on the investment. Delimitation: The study is limited to Swedish funds that have been on the Stockholm Stock Exchange for at least 10 years and at least 90 % of the fund’s holdings must be invested in Swedish companies. Actively managed funds and index funds are analyzed and the other funds are excluded. Method: The study extends between the years 2011-2015. A correlation analysis has been made to see if there is a relationship between management fees and the return on investment. To get the best possible result,calculations and analysis have been made on both risk and performance measurements. Conclusion: It is more profitable to invest in index funds than actively managed funds. Actively managed funds does not generate a higher return on investment than indexfunds but they have a higher management fee. There is no relationship between the fee charged by the mangementcompanies and what return you get in the funds. / Bakgrund:Fonder ären vanlig sparmetod i Sverige och vid val av fond finns det många möjligheter för investerare. Detta beroende på vilken risk man är villig att ta, hur hög avkastning man förväntar sig samt hur hög fondens avgift är. Förvaltningsavgiften är den kostnad som betalas till fondbolagen för det förvaltningsarbete som utförs. Avgiften varierar beroende på om fonden förvaltas aktivt eller passivt. Under de senaste åren har det förekommit diskussioner kring vilken fondförvaltning som är bäst att välja i förhållande till avkastning och avgift, eftersom priserna för de aktivt och passivt förvaltade fonderna ofta skiljer sig åt. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka om det finns något samband mellan avgift och avkastning i förhållande till tagen risk för de aktivt och passivt förvaltade fonderna. Vidare kommer undersökas om aktiv eller passiv fondförvaltning genererar högre avkastning i förhållande till avgift, samt om de aktivt förvaltade fonderna överträffar sitt jämförelseindex eller inte. Avsikten är att få svar på vilken fondförvaltning som ger bättre resultat och därmed är bäst att investera i. Avgränsning: Studien avgränsas till svenska fonder som funnits på Stockholmsbörsen i minst 10 år och har minst 90 % av innehavet i svenska företag. Aktiv förvaltade aktiefonder och indexfonder undersöks, övriga fonder exkluderas. Metod: Tidsperioden som undersöks är fem år, 2011-2015. En korrelationsanalys utförs för att se samband mellan avgift och avkastning. Även relevanta risk-och prestationsmått räknas på och analyseras för att få svar på vilken fondförvaltning som är bäst att välja för bästa resultat. Slutsats: Det är mer lönsamt att investera i indexfonder med lägre avgift än att betala en hög fondavgift för aktiv fondförvaltning. Aktivt förvaltade fonder lyckas oftast inte slå sitt jämförelseindex och genererar inte en högre avkastning i genomsnitt än indexfonder, som har lägre avgift. Det finns inget samband mellan avgift och avkastning för de undersökta fonderna.

In Sweden, savings in funds today is one of the most popular forms of savings. Through both active and passive choices, almost all Swedes are exposed to the fund market, where mutual funds are the most popular type of funds. A clear majority of these funds are actively managed, which means that one or more fund managers actively work with the investments of the funds, with the aim to outperform the market. This method of management has been hotly debated in recent years, when many scientists claim that fund managers generally fail to outperform the market in long term. At the same time, interest in sustainability investments has increased in recent years, which is reflected in the fund market where sustainability funds have become increasingly popular. This essay therefore focuses on these sustainability funds, with focus on comparing large banks with web-based fund companies. The large banks in Sweden have been criticized for the way they are working seen from a customer perspective, but their funds are still very popular. Against this background, the study aims to investigate whether one can find any differences in performance of actively managed sustainability funds between large banks and web-based fund companies. Using four different models to measure risk-adjusted return of security portfolios, the funds have been examined to see if it is possible to find any patterns in terms of performance and the type of company that manages the funds. The survey results show that there is a clear difference in performance between the large banks and the web-based fund companies, whereby the latter succeed much better. Of the four models used, the large banks do not outperform the market under one model, while the web-based companies manage to outperform the market according to three of the models. Thus it can be stated that if you are interested in saving money in actively managed sustainability funds, it is the web-based companies to turn to. As previously mentioned, the large banks funds are very popular, which means that Swedish private investors have much money to gain by allowing web-based companies to manage their money, rather than large banks.

I decennier har problematiken kring förvaltning belysts och i mångt och mycket har motpolerna aktiv- och passiv förvaltning jämförts. Tidigare forskning har påvisat att passiv förvaltning är att föredra framför aktiv förvaltning, bland annat på grund av de dyra förvaltningsavgifterna samt att förespråkarna antar en effektiv marknad. Ämnesområdet är ett väl utforskat område dock i högsta grad aktuellt. Tidigare forskning har inte belyst aktivitetsgraden i aktivt förvaltade fonder och därmed gavs implikation till fortsatt analysområde för den här studien. Syftet med uppsatsen är att analysera om aktivitetsgraden i aktivt förvaltade fonder kan förklara den riskjusterade avkastningen med hänsyn tagen till förvaltningsavgiften. En deduktiv ansats kommer tillämpas för utveckling av existerande teori. Utifrån uppsatsens syfte har en kvantitativ metod tillämpats för att analysera information som tilldelats av fondbolagens fondrapporter för att genomföra tester på olika tidsperioder. Uppsatsens resultat grundas på 81 aktivt förvaltade fonder vilka indikerar att det ej går att påvisa att en högre aktivitetsgrad leder till en högre riskjusterad avkastning. Likaså kan inte en högre förvaltningsavgift motiveras av aktivitetsgraden. Utfallet av analyserna beskrivs genom tabeller för att visualisera de statistiska analyserna. Förslag till fortsatt forskning inkluderar undersökning av vad fondbolagen definierar som krav för att klassificeras som aktivt förvaltade fonder. Utifrån att aktivitetsgraden är en ny infallsvinkel i utvärdering av aktiv förvaltning torde studiens resultat vara av intresse för gemene man då vi alla är investerare mer eller mindre i det privata livet. Investerare antas vara intresserade att veta vad som motiverar den höga förvaltningsavgiften samt hur investerade pengar blir förvaltade då konklusionen av studien är att aktivitetsgraden inte ger mervärde. / For decades, the problem of portfolio management has been discussed, specifically the comparisons between the opposite poles ‘active’ and ‘passive’ management. Previous research has shown that passive management is preferred over active management, predominantly because of the expensive management fees, as well as proponents assuming an efficient market. The subject area is a well- explored area yet, highly relevant. Previous research has not highlighted the trading frequency in actively managed funds and an implication for further analysis within this area was given. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether the frequency of trade in actively managed funds may explain the risk-adjusted return, taking into account the management fees. A deductive approach will be applied to the development of existing theory. Based on the thesis purpose, a quantitative method was applied. As well as analyzing the information assigned by the mutual fund companies’ fund reports for conducting tests at different time periods. Results of the thesis are based on 81 actively managed funds, indicating that it is not possible to reveal that, a higher frequency of trade will lead to a higher risk-adjusted return. Likewise, a higher management fee is not justified by the level of activity. The outcomes of the analysis are depicted through tables to provide a visualization of the statistical and analytical questions explored. Suggestions for future research include; consideration of what the fund companies define as requirements that will be classified as actively managed funds. Based on the above notions the frequency of trade is a new approach to the evaluation of active management. Investors are presumed to have a known interest in what stimulates high management fees and how the money invested will be managed. With respect to the conclusion of this study; the level of the frequency in trade does not add any value.

Bakgrund: Utbredningen av dolda indexfonder har visat sig starkt relaterat till ett lands regelverk och avsaknad av konkurrens på fondmarknaden i form av uttalade indexfonder (Cremers et al. 2013). Då Sverige är ett av de länder som placerar sig i topp vad gäller utbredning av dolda indexfonder (Cremerset al. 2013), är detta remarkabelt med tanke på att Sverige har ett effektivt och välfungerande juridisktsystem (Heritage Foundation 2016). Detta har föranlett oss att undersöka förekomsten av doldaindexfonder i Sverige, samt identifiera och analysera möjliga orsaker till val av aktivitetsgrad utifrånsåväl yttre som inre faktorer. Syfte: Uppsatsen syfte är att med anledning av att det framkommit att dolda indexfonder är vanligt förekommande på den svenska fondmarknaden, undersöka aktivitetsgraden i svenska aktiefonder, samt identifiera och analysera möjliga orsaker till val av aktivitetsgrad. Genomförande: Studien genomförs med ett kvantitativt angreppssätt för att möjliggöra ett statistiskt säkerställt resultat kring aktiviteten på den svenska fondmarknaden. Aktivitetsgraden på den svenskafondmarknaden mäts, genom active share, för att sedan ligga till grund för tester angående hur olika karaktärsdrag påverkar en fonds aktivitet. Avslutningsvis undersöks hur studiens resultat kan kopplas till de spelregler som gäller på den svenska fondmarknaden. Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar på att drygt hälften, 52 %, av de påstått aktivt förvaltade fonderna under mätperioden 2005-2015, i själva verket är att betrakta som dolda indexfonder. Resultatet visar dock också på att det under mätperioden skett en kraftig förbättring av fonders aktivitetsgrad, samt att fler fonder förvaltas aktivt på den svenska marknaden. Fondens inriktning, såväl som om fonden är förvaltad av en storbank, har en signifikant negativ påverkan på fondens aktivitet. Det kan till stor del förklaras av att rådande regelverk och den svenska aktiemarknadens storlek, indirekt uppmuntrar fonder till en lägre aktivitetsgrad. / Background: The existence of closet index funds has been shown highly correlated to regulations andcompetition of explicit index funds on a market (Cremers et al. 2013). Despite its strong regulations andpresence of explicit index funds, studies have shown that Sweden has a high amount of closet indexfunds. This fact has led to our interest in examining the presence of closet index funds on the Swedish market, and to try to identify and analyze potential characteristics of a fund that affect its choice ofactivity rate. Aim: The aim of the study is, by reason of the proven high presence of closet index funds on the Swedish market, to examine the activity rate within the funds, and to identify and analyze potential characteristics that affects it. Completion: The study is conducted through quantitative research. The activity rate of the fund marketis measured through active share and then analyzed for how different characteristics influence the funds activity rate. Eventually the results of the study are being analyzed for if and how they are concatenated to the rules of the Swedish fund market. Conclusion: The result of the study shows that 52 % of the predicated actively managed funds were actually proven to be closet index funds. However, the result also shows that the degree of active share has generally risen, and that more funds are being actively managed in Sweden. The alignment of the fund, as well as if the fund is managed by a major bank, are proven to have a significant negative impactof the activity of the fund. This negative relationship is largely linked to the regulations as well as the size of the Swedish stock market, which creates incentives for low activity of the funds.