It is an established fact that investors favor the familiar%u2014be it domestic securities or, within a country, the securities of nearby firms%u2014and avoid investments that would provide the greatest diversification benefits. While we do not rule out familiarity as an important driver of portfolio allocations, we provide new evidence of investors%u2019 international diversification motive. In particular, our analysis of the security-level U.S. equity holdings of foreign and domestic institutional investors indicates that institutional investors reveal a preference for domestic multinationals (MNCs), even after controlling for familiarity factors. We attribute this revealed preference to the desire to obtain %u201Csafe%u201D international diversification. We then show that holdings of domestic MNCs are substantial and, after accounting for this home-grown foreign exposure, that the share of %u201Cforeign%u201D equities in investors%u2019 portfolios roughly doubles, reducing (but not eliminating) the observed home bias.
This timely volume addresses three important recent trends in the internationalization of United States equity markets: extensive market integration through foreign investment and links among stock prices around the world; increasing securitization as countries such as Japan come to rely more than ever before on markets in equities and bonds at the expense of banks; and the opening of national financial systems of newly industrializing countries to international financial flows and institutions, as governments remove capital controls and other barriers. Eight essays examine such issues as the current extent of international market integration, gains to U.S. investors through international diversification, home-country bias in investing, the role of time and location around the world in stock trading, and the behavior of country funds. Other, long-standing questions about equity markets are also addressed, including market efficiency and the accuracy of models of expected returns, with a particular focus on variances, covariances, and the price of risk according to the Capital Asset Pricing Model.
Recent changes in technology, along with the opening up of many regions previously closed to investment, have led to explosive growth in the international movement of capital. Flows from foreign direct investment and debt and equity financing can bring countries substantial gains by augmenting local savings and by improving technology and incentives. Investing companies acquire market access, lower cost inputs, and opportunities for profitable introductions of production methods in the countries where they invest. But, as was underscored recently by the economic and financial crises in several Asian countries, capital flows can also bring risks. Although there is no simple explanation of the currency crisis in Asia, it is clear that fixed exchange rates and chronic deficits increased the likelihood of a breakdown. Similarly, during the 1970s, the United States and other industrial countries loaned OPEC surpluses to borrowers in Latin America. But when the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates to control soaring inflation, the result was a widespread debt moratorium in Latin America as many countries throughout the region struggled to pay the high interest on their foreign loans. International Capital Flows contains recent work by eminent scholars and practitioners on the experience of capital flows to Latin America, Asia, and eastern Europe. These papers discuss the role of banks, equity markets, and foreign direct investment in international capital flows, and the risks that investors and others face with these transactions. By focusing on capital flows' productivity and determinants, and the policy issues they raise, this collection is a valuable resource for economists, policymakers, and financial market participants.
A supplement for undergraduate and graduate Investments courses. See the decision-making process behind investments. The Psychology of Investing is the first text of its kind to delve into the fascinating subject of how psychology affects investing. Its unique coverage describes how investors actually behave, the reasons and causes of that behavior, why the behavior hurts their wealth, and what they can do about it. Features: What really moves the market: Understanding the psychological aspects. Traditional finance texts focus on developing the tools that investors use for calculating risk and return. The Psychology of Investing is one of the first texts to delve into how psychology affects investing rather than solely focusing on traditional financial theory. This text’s material, however, does not replace traditional investment textbooks but complements them, helping students become better informed investors who understand what motivates the market. Keep learning consistent: Most of the chapters are organized in a similar succession. This approach adheres to following order: -A psychological bias is described and illustrated with everyday behavior -The effect of the bias on investment decisions is explained -Academic studies are used to show why investors need to remedy the problem Growing with the subject matter: Current and fresh information. Because data on investor psychology is rapidly increasing, the fifth edition contains many new additions to keep students up-to-date. The new Chapter 12: Psychology in the Mortgage Crisis describes the psychology involved in the mortgage industry and ensuing financial crisis. New sections and sub-sections include “Buying Back Stock Previously Sold”, “Who Is Overconfident,” "Nature or Nurture?”, "Preferred Risk Habitat," "Market Impacts," "Language," and “Reference Point Adaptation.”
Portfolio Diversification provides an update on the practice of combining several risky investments in a portfolio with the goal of reducing the portfolio's overall risk. In this book, readers will find a comprehensive introduction and analysis of various dimensions of portfolio diversification (assets, maturities, industries, countries, etc.), along with time diversification strategies (long term vs. short term diversification) and diversification using other risk measures than variance. Several tools to quantify and implement optimal diversification are discussed and illustrated. - Focuses on portfolio diversification across all its dimensions - Includes recent empirical material that was created and developed specifically for this book - Provides several tools to quantify and implement optimal diversification
The purpose of the book is to extend and develop the literature on foreign direct investment (FDI) and multinational corporation (MNCs) subsidiaries. There are several reasons for studying foreign investment and ownership. First, firms need to identify which host country industry factors are important in choosing among the various type of equity ownership (e.g. international joint ventures or wholly-owned subsidiary). Second, international diversification through foreign market entry can provide growth and profitability at rates unavailable in home markets. A third reason this warrants some attention is that type of ownership can affect attempts to counter international competition by engaging foreign rivals on their home turf. Fourth, firms have the option of choosing the appropriate equity ownership for international markets based on balancing their resources, capabilities, and international experience with their desire for ownership and control. This book extends the literature in FDI by providing empirical support for several theories and previously defined and/or tested constructs. For example, the parent and subsidiary's factors measured in this study suggest the importance of internalization and ownership advantages of Dunning's eclectic theory.
Analytical tools and algorithms are essential in business data and information systems. Efficient economic and financial forecasting in machine learning techniques increases gains while reducing risks. Providing research on predictive models with high accuracy, stability, and ease of interpretation is important in improving data preparation, analysis, and implementation processes in business organizations. Machine Learning Techniques for Improved Business Analytics is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications of artificial intelligence in strategic business decisions and management. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as data mining, portfolio optimization, and social network analysis, this book is ideally designed for business managers and practitioners, upper-level business students, and researchers seeking current research on large-scale information control and evaluation technologies that exceed the functionality of conventional data processing techniques.
A Brookings Institution Press, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund publication The extensive reforms and liberalization of financial services in emerging markets worldwide call for cutting-edge strategies to capture the benefits of new investment opportunities. In Open Doors, a volume of papers from the third annual Financial Markets and Development conference, multidisciplinary financial sector experts analyze current economic and political trends and prescribe practical advice to the financial development community. The book addresses the key issues of concern regarding the emerging markets, including the trends, motivations, and scope of FDI in finance; policy options that will best capture the opportunities of foreign entry; and the role of foreign institutions in e-finance innovation. The authors focus on specific topics such as foreign participation in emerging market banking systems and securities industries, WTO policies and enforcement, the role of foreign banks, liberalization of insurance markets, the need for capital markets, and the policy, regulatory, and legal issues associated with e-finance. For policymakers and financial practitioners affected by the WTO's Financial Services Agreement, this timely book should be of particular interest. Contributors include Donald Mathieson (International Money Fund), Pierre Sauvé (Trade Directorate, OECD), George J. Vojta (formerly with Bankers Trust and Citibank), Harold D. Skipper (J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University), Benn Steil (Council on Foreign Relations), Morris Goldstein and Edward M. Graham (Institute for International Economics), Nicolas Lardy (Brookings Institution), Phillip Turner (Bank of International Settlements), and Robert Ledig (Fried, Frank, Shriver & Jacobson).
Despite significant gains in promoting economic growth and living conditions (or "human progress") globally over the last twenty-five years, much of the developing world remains plagued by poverty and its attendant problems, including high rates of child mortality, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and war. In Growth and Empowerment, Nicholas Stern, Jean-Jacques Dethier, and F. Halsey Rogers propose a new strategy for development. Drawing on many years of work in development economics—in academia, in the field, and at international institutions such as the World Bank—the authors base their strategy on two interrelated approaches: building a climate that encourages investment and growth and at the same time empowering poor people to participate in that growth. This plan differs from other models for development, including the dogmatic approach of market fundamentalism popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Stern, Dethier, and Rogers see economic development as a dynamic process of continuous change in which entrepreneurship, innovation, flexibility, and mobility are crucial components and the idea of empowerment, as both a goal and a driver of development, is central. The book points to the unique opportunity today—after 50 years of successes and failures, and with a growing body of analytical work to draw on—to pursue new development strategies in both research and action.
Bedrock investing principles for profiting in today’s shaky markets If you wanted to create the next earth-shattering consumer product, Steve Jobs would be an ideal role model to follow. If you planned to become a great golfer, you might look to Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus. So, if your goals were to outperform other investors and achieve your life’s financial goals, what should you do? Think, act and invest like the best investor out there: Warren Buffett. While you can’t invest exactly like he does, Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett provides a solid, sensible investing approach based on Buffett’s advice regarding investment strategies. When it comes to investing, Director of Research for the BAM Alliance and CBS News blogger Larry Swedroe has pretty much seen it all—and he’s come to the conclusion that simple is better, that adopting basic investing principles always increases an investor’s chance of success and that Buffett is the perfect model for such investing. In Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett, Swedroe provides the foundational knowledge you need to: Develop a financial plan to help you make rational decisions on a consistent basis Determine the level of risk that’s right for you and allocate your assets accordingly Create a strong portfolio that will weather any economic storm Manage your portfolio—rebalance periodically to maintain proper risk levels The beauty of the Buffett approach is its profound simplicity: follow the basics, keep your cool, and have a sense of humor. The market volatility of recent years has ushered in armies of economists, forecasters and other so-called experts whose job it is to explain how everything works. Somehow, they have managed to muddy the waters even more. The truth is, investing is easier than you think—even in today’s economy. “Complex problems can have simple solutions,” Swedroe writes. Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett helps you go back to the basics—so you can leap in front of the investing pack. Praise for Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett: “You could not spend a more profitable hour than reading Larry Swedroe’s wise and lucid investment guide.” —Burton Malkiel, author, A Random Walk Down Wall Street “If you've been wondering why you've had such a hard time investing well, Playing the Winner's Game will diagnose your ills and treat them in just ninety short, delightful pages.” —William Bernstein, author, A Splendid Exchange and The Investor’s Manifesto “Follow the investment strategy advocated by Larry Swedroe, and free yourself to spend your time on life's treasures—like your family and friends!” —William Reichenstein, professor, Baylor University “As someone who teaches a college investments course, I would not have thought it possible to do what Swedroe has done in such a short concise book.” —Edward R. Wolfe, professor of finance, Western Kentucky University “It's amazing. Larry Swedroe managed to pen a magnificent book not only chock full of actionable advice, but one that's fun to read. Get a copy and treat yourself to a better financial future.” —Harold Evensky, president, Evensky & Katz “Larry Swedroe is the undisputed expert in helping investors manage portfolios the smart way. His new book, Playing the Winner’s Game, combines all facets of wealth management in an inspiring and powerful manner.” —Bill Schultheis, author, The New Coffeehouse Investor
