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How good was the profitability of British railways, 1870–1912?

Author

Listed:
  • BRIAN MITCHELL
  • DAVID CHAMBERS
  • NICK CRAFTS

Abstract

This paper provides new estimates of the return on capital employed (ROCE) for major British railway companies. It shows that ROCE was generally below the cost of capital after the mid-1870s and fell till the turn of the century. Addressing issues of cost inefficiency could have restored ROCE to an adequate level in the late 1890s but not in 1910. Declines in ROCE hit share prices and returns to shareholders were negative after 1897. Optimal portfolio analysis shows that, whilst railway securities would have had a substantial weight prior to this date, investors would have been justified in rushing to the exits thereafter.
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Suggested Citation

  • Brian Mitchell & David Chambers & Nick Crafts, 2011. "How good was the profitability of British railways, 1870–1912?," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 64(3), pages 798-831, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ehsrev:v:64:y:2011:i:3:p:798-831
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    Cited by:

    1. Richard S. Grossman, 2015. "Bloody foreigners! Overseas equity on the London Stock Exchange, 1869–1929," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 68(2), pages 471-521, May.
    2. Crafts, Nicholas, 2010. "The contribution of new technology to economic growth: lessons from economic history," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 28(3), pages 409-440, December.
    3. Grossman, Richard, 2017. "Stocks for the Long Run: New Monthly Indices of British Equities, 1869-1929," CEPR Discussion Papers 12121, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. James Foreman-Peck & Leslie Hannah, 2012. "Some Consequences of the Early Twentieth Century Divorce of Ownership from Control," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-864, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    5. Dimitris P. Sotiropoulos & Janette Rutterford & Carolyn Keber, 2020. "UK investment trust portfolio strategies before the First World War," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 73(3), pages 785-814, August.
    6. Campbell, Gareth, 2012. "Myopic rationality in a Mania," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 75-91.
    7. Turner, John D., 2024. "Three centuries of corporate governance in the UK," QUCEH Working Paper Series 24-01, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    8. Campbell, Gareth & Gallagher, Áine & Grossman, Richard S., 2025. "Remote investing in Latin America, 1869-1929," QUCEH Working Paper Series 25-09, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    9. repec:ces:ceswps:_11562 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Acheson, Graeme G. & Campbell, Gareth & Gallagher, Áine & Turner, John D., 2018. "Independent women: Shareholders in the age of the suffragettes," QUCEH Working Paper Series 2018-09, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    11. Gareth Campbell & Áine Gallagher & Richard S.Grossman, 2025. "Remote Investing in Latin America, 1869-1929," Wesleyan Economics Working Papers 2025-010, Wesleyan University, Department of Economics.
    12. Gareth Campbell & Áine Gallagher & Richard S.Grossman, 2024. "Living La Vida Loca? Remote Investing in Latin America, 1869-1929," Wesleyan Economics Working Papers 2024-013, Wesleyan University, Department of Economics.
    13. Richard S.Grossman, 2017. "Beresford’s Revenge: British equity holdings in Latin America, 1869-1929," Wesleyan Economics Working Papers 2017-003, Wesleyan University, Department of Economics.
    14. Grossman, Richard, 2017. "Beresford’s Revenge: British equity holdings in Latin America, 1869-1929," CEPR Discussion Papers 12042, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    15. Dan Bogart, 2012. "Profiting from Public Works: Financial Returns to Infrastructure and Investment Strategies during Britain's Industrial Revolution," Working Papers 121304, University of California-Irvine, Department of Economics.

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