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Dispelling the Myth of the Naive Investor during the British Railway Mania, 1845–1846

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  • Campbell, Gareth
  • Turner, John D.

Abstract

Anecdotal evidence from the British Railway Mania and other historical financial bubbles suggests that many investors during such episodes are naive, thus contributing to the asset price boom. Using extensive investor records, we find that very few investors during the Railway Mania can be categorized as such. Although some interpretations of the Mania suggest that naive investors were expropriated by railway insiders, our evidence is inconsistent with this view as railway insiders contributed substantial amounts of capital, and their investments performed no better than those made by other experienced investors.

Suggested Citation

  • Campbell, Gareth & Turner, John D., 2012. "Dispelling the Myth of the Naive Investor during the British Railway Mania, 1845–1846," Business History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 86(1), pages 3-41, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:buhirw:v:86:y:2012:i:01:p:3-41_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Quinn, William & Turner, John D., 2020. "Bubbles in history," QUCEH Working Paper Series 2020-07, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    2. Campbell, Gareth & Turner, John D. & Walker, Clive B., 2012. "The role of the media in a bubble," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 461-481.
    3. Bogart, Dan & You, Xuesheng & Alvarez-Palau, Eduard J. & Satchell, Max & Shaw-Taylor, Leigh, 2022. "Railways, divergence, and structural change in 19th century England and Wales," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    4. Queirós, Francisco, 2024. "Asset bubbles and product market competition," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 19(1), January.
    5. Turner, John D., 2014. "Financial history and financial economics," QUCEH Working Paper Series 14-03, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    6. John D Turner & Qing Ye & Clive B Walker, 2018. "Media Coverage and Stock Returns on the London Stock Exchange, 1825–70," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 22(4), pages 1605-1629.
    7. Yang Hu & Les Oxley, 2017. "Exuberance in British Share Prices during the Railway Mania of the 1840s: Evidence from the Phillips, Shi and Yu Test," Working Papers in Economics 17/09, University of Waikato.
    8. 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.
    9. Gareth Campbell & John D. Turner & Qing Ye, 2018. "The liquidity of the London capital markets, 1825–70†," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 71(3), pages 823-852, August.
    10. Quinn, William & Turner, John D., 2021. "Riding the bubble or taken for a ride? Investors in the British bicycle mania," QUCEH Working Paper Series 21-07, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    11. Grant Fleming & Frank Liu & David Merrett & Simon Ville, 2022. "Share ownership and the introduction of no liability legislation in nineteenth-century Australia," CEH Discussion Papers 11, Centre for Economic History, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    12. Quinn, William & Turner, John D., 2021. "Riding the Bubble or Taken for a Ride? Investors in the British Bicycle Mania," QBS Working Paper Series 2021/08, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's Business School.
    13. Mingardi Alberto, 2015. "Herbert Spencer on Corporate Governance," Man and the Economy, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 195-214, December.

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