Decision-making In Mutual Funds During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: During the beginning of 2020, the world was struck by the vicious virus COVID­19, forcing societies into lockdown. Demand froze across the board and this was quickly reflected on stockmarkets worldwide. The Swedish stock market index, OMXS30, plummeted around 30% in a matter of weeks. As an investor, it can be difficult to navigate the financial market and make investment decisions during such turbulent periods. The goal of this study is to analyze the decision-making made by Swedish mutual fund managers during the turbulent market period of 2020, to identify common behavior. This is done through interviewing fund managers of major Swedish mutual funds. The results of the study imply that a specific template for decision-­making amongst fund managers is difficult to create. Yet, a common and early decision during market corrections is to reduce positions in assets performing well in order to maintain fund liquidity and capture new investment opportunities created by the correction. Making decisions during market volatility is a difficult process that is dependant on factors such as investment mandates, internal resources, investment ­horizon and preferred valuation methods.