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  • Journal of Portfolio Management

How Institutional Investors Frame Their Losses: Evidence on Dynamic Loss Aversion from Currency Portfolios

By: Kenneth A. Froot, John Arabadjis, Sonya Cates and Stephen Lawrence
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:9
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Abstract

Currency investors exhibit a tendency to cut risk by pairing both longs and shorts following losses and a weaker tendency to add risk following gains. By differentiating between position level, portfolio level, and aggregate cross-portfolio losses in currency investments, we demonstrate that this dynamic loss aversion spans multiple frames of reference. Losses are not compartmentalized; rather a loss in one currency may impact trading in another. We also show that while the impact of a loss on subsequent trading decisions does linger, the affect declines sharply after a losing position is closed.

Keywords

Loss Aversion; Decision Choices and Conditions; Currency; Investment; Risk Management; Behavioral Finance

Citation

Froot, Kenneth A., John Arabadjis, Sonya Cates, and Stephen Lawrence. "How Institutional Investors Frame Their Losses: Evidence on Dynamic Loss Aversion from Currency Portfolios." Journal of Portfolio Management 38, no. 1 (Fall 2011): 60–68.
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About The Author

Kenneth A. Froot

→More Publications

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More from the Authors
  • What Do Measures of Real-Time Corporate Sales Tell Us About Earnings Surprises and Post-announcement Returns? By: Kenneth A. Froot, Namho Kang, Gideon Ozik and Ronnie Sadka
  • Innovating into Active ETFs: Factor Funds Capital Management LLC (TN) By: Lauren Cohen, Kenneth Froot and Timothy Gray
  • BlackRock Solutions By: Kenneth A. Froot and Scott Waggoner
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