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Information Immobility and the Home Bias Puzzle

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  • Laura Veldkamp
  • Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh

Abstract

Many argue that home bias arises because home investors can predict home asset payoffs more accurately than foreigners can. But why doesn't global information access eliminate this asymmetry? We model investors, endowed with a small home information advantage, who choose what information to learn before they invest. Surprisingly, even when home investors can learn what foreigners know, they choose not to: Investors profit more from knowing information others do not know. Learning amplifies information asymmetry. The model matches patterns of local and industry bias, foreign investments, portfolio out-performance and asset prices. Finally, we propose new avenues for empirical research.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Veldkamp & Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, 2005. "Information Immobility and the Home Bias Puzzle," 2005 Meeting Papers 78, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed005:78
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    home bias; international equity flows; asymmetric information; information theory;

    JEL classification:

    • F30 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - General
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design

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