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Exportweltmeister: Germany’s foreign investment returns in international comparison

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  • Hünnekes, Franziska
  • Konradt, Maximilian
  • Schularick, Moritz
  • Trebesch, Christoph
  • Wingenbach, Julian

Abstract

Germany is a world champion in exporting capital (“Exportweltmeister”). Few countries have invested larger amounts of savings abroad. However, we show that Germany plays in the third division when it comes to investment performance. We construct a comprehensive new database of foreign investment returns for 13 advanced economies going back to the 1970s. Germany’s foreign returns were 2 to 5 percentage points lower, per year, than those of comparable countries. Germany also earns significantly less within asset classes, especially for equities and FDI. These aggregate results are confirmed when using return data from 50,000 mutual funds worldwide. German investment funds are worse at stock picking and at timing the market than their international peers. This is particularly true for the ”Big 6” German mutual fund companies. German households would have fared much better with a passive investment strategy.

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  • Hünnekes, Franziska & Konradt, Maximilian & Schularick, Moritz & Trebesch, Christoph & Wingenbach, Julian, 2025. "Exportweltmeister: Germany’s foreign investment returns in international comparison," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:inecon:v:155:y:2025:i:c:s0022199625000121
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2025.104056
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    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F30 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - General
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

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