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The Influence of Information Costs on the Integration of Financial Markets: Northern Europe, 1350-1560

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  • Oliver Volckart

Abstract

In this paper, the influence of information costs on the integration of Northern European financial markets between ca. 1350 and 1560 is explored. The approach is based on splitting information costs into their constitutive components and on measuring one of these, i.e. the costs of transmitting information, which have particular importance for market integration. The analysis has two main results: First, under pre-industrial conditions, when transmitting information was extremely labour intensive and very little capital intensive, transmission costs can be largely identified with labour costs, and were subject to the same influences. Next, the integration of financial markets depended crucially on the level of transmission costs, high costs being strongly and significantly correlated with weak integration, while lower costs favoured convergence.

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Volckart, 2006. "The Influence of Information Costs on the Integration of Financial Markets: Northern Europe, 1350-1560," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2006-049, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:hum:wpaper:sfb649dp2006-049
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    Cited by:

    1. Bellalah, Mondher & Bradford, Marc & Zhang, Detao, 2016. "A general theory of corporate international investment under incomplete information, short sales and taxes," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 615-626.
    2. Lars Boerner & Oliver Volckart, 2009. "Currency unions, optimal currency areas and the integration of financial markets: Central Europe, 14-16thcenturies," Working Papers 9012, Economic History Society.
    3. Oliver Volckart, 2007. "Rules, Discretion or Reputation? Monetary Policies and the Efficiency of Financial Markets in Germany, 14th to 16th Centuries," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2007-007, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
    4. Edvinsson, Rodney & Franzén, Bo & Söderberg, Johan, 2009. "The Swedish System of Payment 995-1534," Stockholm Papers in Economic History 9, Stockholm University, Department of Economic History.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial markets; integration; information costs; economic history;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
    • N24 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Europe: 1913-

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