Beta as a determinant of investor activity in sector exchange-traded funds

This study investigates the role of beta along with an extended set of risk characteristics as determinants of ETF flow and ETF trading in sector exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The results reveal that the relation between beta and ETF trading (ETF flow) is decreasing (increasing) and U-shaped (inverse U-shaped). These findings imply, in line with the documented low-risk anomaly, that investors may perceive low-beta ETFs as less desirable alternatives than high-beta ETFs. The shape of the relation between beta and investor activity indicates that it is more important for investors to avoid low beta than to achieve high beta.