Reassessing international investment patterns: a revisitation of Lane and Milesi-Ferretti's evidence

Eleonora Pierucci, Filippo Maria Pericoli and Luigi Ventura

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: We show that recent methodological advances in econometric theory raise questions about the results obtained by Lane and Milesi-Ferretti (LMF) in relation to the determinants of international investment patterns (International Investment Patterns, The Review of Economics and Statistics 2008; 90(3): 538{549). We find that LMF's estimated equations are affected by heteroscedasticity (which can lead to inconsistent estimates in log-linearized models), and that the results depend on the pattern of heteroscedasticity assumed and on the estimation method applied. Thus, LMF's findings need to be reassessed. Moreover, we extend the dataset over time to estimate the panel version of the LMF's equations (over years 2001{2009). Our panel allows for the proper accounting of unobserved heterogeneity through country-pair fixed effects and improves the cross-section analysis reconciling empirical evidence with economic theory. Irrespective of the estimation method, we identify a clear diversification motive which drives international equity purchases.

Keywords: International investment patterns; portfolio choices; gravity models. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F21 G11 G15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-02-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-int and nep-sog
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/53585/1/MPRA_paper_53585.pdf original version (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:53585

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany Ludwigstraße 33, D-80539 Munich, Germany. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Joachim Winter ().