Mutual fund liquidity, valuation and gates

Last month, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted rules allowing money market funds (MMFs) to restrict (or “gate”) redemptions when there is a liquidity problem. These proposals have been severely criticized on the ground that they could lead to pre-emptive runs as investor rush to the exit before the gates are imposed.

I think the criticism is valid though I was among those who recommended the imposition of gates in Indian mutual funds during the crisis of 2008. The difference is that I see gates as a solution not to a liquidity problem, but to a valuation problem. The purpose of the gate in my view is to protect remaining investors from the risk that redeeming investors exit the fund at a valuation greater than the true value of the assets. An even better solution to this valuation problem is the minimum balance at risk proposal that I blogged about two years ago.

Posted at 3:12 pm IST on Sat, 23 Aug 2014         permanent link

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