Lockup periods during lockdown periods in the context of Brazilian funds

ABSTRACT This article aimed to test the effect of lockup periods on the performance of Brazilian equity funds and multimarket funds, considering the period affected by the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This study contributes to better understanding the effects of redemption restrictions imposed on quotaholders, a relevant subject considering the increase in the number of funds in Brazil. This effect is analyzed with particular focus on the period affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study have implications for individual and professional investors and may also interest large families of Brazilian funds, given that the establishment of lockup periods forms part of a long-term decision. The research has the potential to impact planning in the fund industry, the financial planning of small and large investors, as well as the literature on the subject, motivating the undertaking of new research. The sample was composed of 17,417 Brazilian funds, 13,581 of which were multimarket funds and 3,836 were equity funds, covering the period from January of 2018 to December of 2021. Various subsamples were evaluated for robustness purposes. The hypotheses were tested using a difference-in-difference model operationalized through a panel. Fund performance was estimated every quarter based on the four-factor alpha. The main results of the study reveal that lockup periods were positively associated with fund performance. On the other hand, during the period negatively affected by COVID-19, funds with greater lockup periods did not record better performance than the other funds (considering in the comparison the performance of groups with a shorter lockup and that of the funds before the pandemic), a result that may advance the discussion on the effects of redemption restrictions.