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The globalization of securities investment and investors in the early 20th century Britain.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 15530218
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Public finance/Monetary economics
Research InstitutionKYUSHU UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

INATOMI Nobuhiro  Kyushu University, Faculty of Economics, Professor, 経済学研究院, 教授 (70148740)

Project Period (FY) 2003 – 2005
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2005)
Budget Amount *help
¥1,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥200,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
KeywordsBritish capital market / Overseas investment / Globalization / Securities investors
Research Abstract

It is the object of this research to clear the facts of British overseas securities investment, which can be regarded as the first ‘globalization of securities investment', from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. The research is divided into two parts.
Firstly, we has cleared some characters of British overseas securities investment. Although British funds were invested globally, British capital exports were characterized by concentration with regard to recipient country, industries and financial instruments. Concerning recipients, the United States, Canada, Argentina, Australia and India together absorbed 55% of the capital between 1865 and 1914. The two major investment channels for British overseas investment were government obligations and railway securities, together accounting for 68% of the aggregate capital invested. British capital was exported by means of debentures, ordinary shares, preference shares and notes. Fixed-interest obligations (debentures 68%, preference shares 6%) composed 74% of all capital ; equities representing 23% and notes 3%. In this way, British capital were characterized by these concentration.
Secondly, we has tried to presume some characters of the securities investors, who were main players in overseas investment. Concerning them, there is no direct data. If we assume the overseas investment reflected the income level of the middle classes directly, however, 40% of the funds for overseas investment came from London. From the fact that Londoners composed over 50% of stockholders for the enterprises that operated in foreign countries and the British Empire, it can be presumed that many of overseas investors were pure investors and merchant class in London. Therefore it has confirmed that there was a strong bias that investors in London preferred overseas investment to investment for domestic enterprises.

Report

(4 results)
  • 2005 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2004 Annual Research Report
  • 2003 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2003-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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