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Why is stock market concentration bad for the economy?

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  • Bae, Kee-Hong
  • Bailey, Warren
  • Kang, Jisok

Abstract

The stock market should fund promising new firms, thereby breeding competition, innovation, and economic growth. However, using three decades of data from 47 countries, we show that concentrated stock markets dominated by a small number of very successful firms are associated with less efficient capital allocation, sluggish initial public offering and innovation activity, and slower economic growth. These findings are robust to alternative sample periods, econometric specifications, and competing explanatory variables. Our evidence is consistent with the paradox that the capital market of a competitive economy can impede the continuing competitiveness of that economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Bae, Kee-Hong & Bailey, Warren & Kang, Jisok, 2021. "Why is stock market concentration bad for the economy?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(2), pages 436-459.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:140:y:2021:i:2:p:436-459
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2021.01.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Mingjin Luo & Shenqguan Wang, 2023. "Financialization and sluggish recovery of firms' investment: Global evidence from the 2007–2008 financial crisis," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 344-363, December.
    2. Claudiu-Florentin Lăceanu & Liviu-Valentin Vlăducu & Ovidiu-Gheorghe Petru & Marius-Silviu Culea, 2021. "The impact of economic growth on the financial and capital market," Journal of Financial Studies, Institute of Financial Studies, vol. 10(6), pages 77-93, May.
    3. Amit Pandey & Anil Kumar Sharma, 2023. "Effect of Index Concentration on Index Volatility and Performance," Asia-Pacific Financial Markets, Springer;Japanese Association of Financial Economics and Engineering, vol. 30(3), pages 559-585, September.
    4. Yagli , Ibrahim & Cetenak , Emin Huseyin, 2023. "Financial Development and Capital Allocation Efficiency Nexus: Do Sources and Dimensions of Financial Development Matter?," Journal of Economic Development, The Economic Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, vol. 48(2), pages 83-103, June.
    5. Schlingemann, Frederik P. & Stulz, René M., 2022. "Have exchange-listed firms become less important for the economy?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(2), pages 927-958.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Stock market concentration; Capital allocation; IPO; Innovation; Economic growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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