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SSRN Electronic Journal
Article . 2010 . Peer-reviewed
Data sources: Crossref
Financial Analysts Journal
Article . 2011 . Peer-reviewed
Data sources: Crossref
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Detecting Crowded Trades in Currency Funds

Authors: Momtchil Pojarliev; Richard M. Levich;

Detecting Crowded Trades in Currency Funds

Abstract

The financial crisis of 2008 highlights the importance of detecting crowded trades due to the risks they pose to the stability of the financial system and to the global economy. However, there is a perception that crowded trades are difficult to identify. To date, no single measure to capture the crowdedness of a trade or a trading style has developed. We propose a methodology to measure crowded trades and apply it to professional currency managers. Our results suggest that carry became a crowded trading strategy towards the end of Q1 2008, shortly before a massive liquidation of carry trades. The timing suggests a possible adverse relationship between our measure of style crowdedness and the future performance of the trading style. Crowdedness in the trend following and value strategies support this hypothesis. Our sample period covers 63 months, of which 27 months are effectively an out-of-sample period. The out-of-sample results confirm the usefulness of our measure of crowdedness. After a period when carry returns were very favorable, carry became crowded again in fall 2009, and then experienced a sharp reversal during the European sovereign debt crises and after the “flash crash” in May 2010. We apply our approach to currencies but the methodology is general and could be used to measure the popularity or crowdedness of any trade with an identifiable time series return. Our methodology may offer useful insights regarding the popularity of certain trades – in currencies, gold, or other assets – among hedge funds. Further research in this area may be relevant for investors, managers and regulators.

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Keywords

jel: jel:G15, jel: jel:F31

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    popularity
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    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
44
Top 10%
Top 10%
Top 10%
bronze